Figure 1: Three acrylic chairs that appear to be dyed in three different colors.

There are two types of plastic products known as acrylic, each with slightly different chemical structure. Polyacrylonitrile is the basis of acrylic fiber, and Polymethyl methacrylate is a thermoplastic developed as a substitute for glass. These two products are used by artists and designers to make everything ranging from jewelry to furniture. The characteristics of this material is quite elaborate, but important to take into consideration when trying to decide how to use this material in an interior space:

Acrylic is clear regardless of its thickness, and is light weight yet still remains a stronger material than something like glass.
Great insulator
Its impact is shatter resistant, meaning that when this material breaks, it breaks into larger pieces without sharp edges.
Acrylic does not become brittle or fracture with age, having a longer life cycle than other materials.
Clear sheets of this material can be colored with dyes, as shown in figure 1.
Although hard and durable, acrylic is softer than glass, so it is susceptible to scratching.
Acrylic does not turn yellow when exposed to ultraviolet light, which is why we see this material being used for light fixture lenses and illuminated signs.

The main reason behind the popularity of acrylic products is that it is incredibly sustainable. Firstly, acrylic is fairly cheap and easily available. It is also extremely durable, and is a strong enough material to be able to go through lots of wear and tear. Acrylic products need almost no maintenance and they are very easy to clean, for which the materials one needs in order to maintain its true shine and beauty are acrylic polish, sandpaper and water. Use these products to buff out scratches and marks that may appear on acrylic products overtime. Acrylic is also versatile in the way that it can be used for almost anything, where it can appear in a variety of shapes, designs, colors and sizes.

There is also another reason which adds more credibility to acrylic products which is less impact on the environment. This material is environmentally friendly for which is a big reason for why people are switching to using acrylic products in interior spaces in the first place. Because of its environmental impact, we see that acrylic products have been replacing products that were previously made from wood, iron and other natural ingredients. Even though they have chemicals in them, they are still far less harmful than poor quality plastic products which can severely damage the environment. Hence why acrylic products can still be considered an environment friendly option.

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Figure 2: Acrylic can also be used for light fixtures, and be formed into unique, organic shapes like the figure above.

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Figure 3: Example of acrylic being bent and formed into a unique shape to create a hanging chair.

Because acrylic is not affected by ultraviolet light, it is used for illuminated signs and light fixture lenses (Figure 2). It is also used for skylights, safety glazing, and interior partitions. Acrylic can be cast into sheet material, where it can be easily formed, bent, cut, or engraved. Because this material is so versatile, we see acrylic being utilized in a variety of different spaces, and used in many different ways too, such as light fixtures, chairs, wall coverings, and other types of furniture as well (Figure 1,3,4 & 5). Aside from this material being used in furniture, and other decorative products, acrylic is also the basis for some types of solid surfacing like countertops, for example. We also see acrylic being used as bathtub surrounds and shower stall doors.

Figure 5: Acrylic being utilized to help bring light and contrast of texture in a modern space.

The ATSM Standards for acrylic involves a lot of testing of this material. Some tests that this organization completes are listed below:

D256 Test Methods for Determining the Izod Pendulum Impact Resistance of Plastics
D542 Test Method for Index of Refraction of Transparent Organic Plastics
D570 Test Method for Water Absorption of Plastics
D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
D638 Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics

There are also other organizations that test this material as well. Just a few examples of nationwide organizations that focus their research and testing on acrylic and plastic as a whole are:

Plastics Industry Association
Avomeen
UL Industry
Polymers Center

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Figure 4: Acrylic can be engraved into to make unique patterns and designs. It can also replace a wall to ensure privacy of a space.