landmannnn Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I have clear plastic back windows in my hybrid truck cab. They have gone very opaque, I assume uv damage. Looking at clear plastic I can find perspex, acrylic and polycarbonate. Are they the same thing? Is it just the brand that makes the difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondjeremy Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I think Acrylic is the new name for perspex and polycarbonate is entirely different. I seem to recall that Wikipedia produced good technical data when I was interested in the properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warthog Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Polycarbonate is the toughest transparent plastic available, with good mechanical strength in a temperature range of -100 - +120 degrees Celsius. The impact resistance of Polycarbonate is 15 - 20 times higher than that of Acrylic sheet, making it ideal for machine guarding and safety items like helmets and eye protection. Polycarbonate is also ideal for roofing and greenhouses. Polycarbonate is also known as Lexan or Makrolon. Acrylic is a rigid, transparent, thermoplastic material. Naturally colourless and exceptionally clear, it can be pigmented to obtain a wide range of tints and colours with almost unlimited scope in varying light transmission and diffusion. It is inert to many corrosive chemicals (subject to annealing) and has light transmission properties and resistance to weathering which are unrivalled by many other plastic materials. A wide variety of industrial and artistic processes can be used to machine, fabricate or shape acrylic sheet. Acrylic is also referred to as Perspex, Plexiglas or Lucite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taz90 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 i used "LEXAN" in my old bobtail rr. lasted years even stopped a snapped tow rope and shackle dear but worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpants Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 The most common trade names for polycarbonate are Lexan and Makrolon. Although it is very impact resistant, it’s not particularly good for scratch resistance- It can however be coated to improve this, and is available as Margard in this form. Whatever you do avoid polystyrene- it shatters very easily and the shards are very sharp (you might remember a recall of shower screens that were “a potential deathtrap” in the words of Lynn Faulds Wood.....). The sheet is still available in the DIY shops though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyEvans Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 u could use marguard which is what is used in forestry machine cab winows. but is quite expensve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hiatt Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 These people are on your doorstep lexa/margard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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