JCE Online Journal of Chemical Education
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print

JCE Digital Library

JCE Software

Only@JCE Online

About JCE


  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2000  > July  >
Chemistry for Everyone
Products of Chemistry
Artificial Glass--The Versatility of Poly(methyl methacrylate) from Its Early Exploitation to the New Millennium
Michael S. Chisholm
Ineos Acrylics, PO Box 90, Wilton, Middlesbrough, Cleveland TS90 8JE, England

Cover
July 2000
Vol. 77 No. 7
p. 841

Abstract
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been exploited as a material for over 60 years. More commonly recognized under trade names such as Lucite, Perspex or Plexiglas, it was originally developed during the 1930s as a safe replacement for glass in aircraft canopies. PMMA has the important advantages of being lighter and less brittle than glass; it is more easily fabricated and is much less likely to cause cuts and lacerations when broken. Nowadays, these advantages and others are exploited in applications ranging from hospital incubators to automotive rear light clusters. The development of means to toughen and increase the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PMMA has further enhanced its utility.
More Information
*  Citation
Chisholm, Michael S. J. Chem. Educ. 2000 77 841.
*  Keywords
Industrial Chemistry; Materials Science; Plastics; Polymer Chemistry; History / Philosophy
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
June 2, 2000
April 15, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2000 > July > Page 841


Subscriptions

JCE HS CLIC

Our Secondary School editors work hard to distill all the JCE materials to produce a fraction of particular interest to high school teachers. We call it CLIC.


Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission

Advertisers
In recent years we have worked hard to better match our advertisers with our readers. When shopping for chemistry education materials, visit our advertisers' WWW sites first.

Be An Ambassador
Take JCE along on your outreach missions. Copies of the Journal, guest access to JCE Online, our publications catalog, and more are available for your participants.