Cast Versus Extruded Acrylic Sheets

Available in a broad range of standard and custom colors for a variety of applications cast acrylic is more pliable than extruded less likely to bend chip or melt during milling.

Cast versus extruded acrylic sheets.

Cast acrylic is a form of acrylic material that is produced by mixing the acrylic liquid. Difference between cast and extruded acrylic definition. In brief they are manufactured by two different production processes. Laser cutting when laser cutting extruded acrylic there will come a burr on one side of the part.

On the cast acrylic. Cast acrylic versus extruded acrylic chemical resistance cast acrylic is more resistant to the same solvents. The mould monomer is then submerged in warm water and the process of polymerization takes place. Cast acrylic materials are available in a wide variety of colors.

Cast acrylic as the name suggests is manufactured by a process whereby mma methyl methacrylate monomer liquid is pumped into a mould made from two sheets of glass. Cast acrylic can be thermally well deformed whereby the deformation properties are homogeneous in all directions. The surface finish flatness and optical properties of cast acrylic sheets are all superior to those of extruded acrylic sheets. Because extruded material is limited in thickness cast acrylic is a better option for larger structures installations etc.

Cast acrylic is generally regarded as a better quality material and offers a number of advantages over the extruded variant such as being more resistant to chemicals and solvents less prone to scratching easier to machine and fabricate and available in a far wider range of colours and surface finishes i e. Both types of acrylic sheet offer outstanding surface hardness and durability excellent uv stability and are virtually shatter proof so whether you choose cast or extruded acrylic for your next project you will not be disappointed.