PVC

PVC is a polymer formed by free radical polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer. It can be divided into soft PVC and hard PVC according to the degree of hardness. Hard PVC accounts for about 2/3 of the market, and soft PVC accounts for 1/3.

Soft PVC is generally used for floors, ceilings and leather surfaces. However, it contains softeners, it can be brittle and difficult to preserve, so its scope of use is limited.

Hard PVC does not contain softeners. It has good flexibility. It is easy to shape, not brittle, non-toxic and pollution-free. Hard PVC has a long shelf life, so it is popular.

Acrylic

Acrylic has good transparency. It is with a light transmittance of more than 92%. Acrylic has excellent weather resistance, high surface hardness and surface gloss, and good high temperature resistance. It has good processing properties, and can be divided into two types: cast acrylic and extruded acrylic according to the production process.

Hardness is one of the parameters that shows the production process and technology of cast acrylic sheets. It is related to quality control. Hardness can show the purity of raw material, weather resistance and high temperature resistance of the sheet. Hardness directly affects whether the sheet will shrink, bend, or deform, and whether cracks will appear on the surface during processing.

Hardness is one of the indicators for judging the quality of acrylic sheets. Cast acrylic sheets have the highest hardness index at present, with an average Darlow hardness value of 90 degrees.

Acrylic can be used outdoors. It has good surface hardness and gloss. It has great plasticity, and can be made into various shapes and products. There are many types of acrylic sheets with rich colors (including translucent sheets). Thick sheets can still maintain high transparency.

Differences

1. Environmental protection

PVC boards are not as environmentally friendly as acrylic panels. In the process of producing PVC, some people add plasticizers, and plasticizers are harmful to the human body and nature.

2. Price

The raw materials for PVC are cheap, while the raw materials required for acrylic are much more expensive. Therefore, PVC products are cheaper than acrylic products in terms of price.

3. Appearance

Acrylic is more transparent than ordinary glass. What about PVC? After a series of processing, it looks a little yellow.

4. Sound

Acrylic has very few impurities. It sounds crisp when tapped. When PVC is tapped by hand, the sound is a little bit dull, and lacks that crisp thing.

5. Performance

PVC has high hardness and mechanical properties. These features increase with the increase of molecular weight, but decreases with the increase of temperature.

Hard PVC has good mechanical properties, and its elastic modulus can reach 1500-3000MPa. The elasticity of soft PVC is 1.5-15 MPa. But the elongation at break is as high as 200%-450%. The friction of PVC is average, with a static friction coefficient of 0.4-0.5 and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.23.

Acrylic sheets have very good weather resistance, high surface hardness and surface gloss. Acrylic sheets have good processing properties. They can be thermoformed or machined.