Cast Acrylic Sheet

Cast acrylic sheet is the plastic sheet of choice for those looking for superior clarity and strength for their applications. Cast acrylic is lightweight, has high impact resistance, and offers superior optical clarity. In fact, acrylic has a higher optical clarity than glass and is 10 times more shatter resistant. Cast acrylic also comes in many sizes, thicknesses, finishes and is easily fabricated and thermoformed to meet your needs. Furthermore, cast acrylic sheet boasts a higher molecular weight than its extruded acrylic counterpart, and it has a better resistance to crazing when exposed to solvents and a harder surface.

How Cast Acrylic is Made

Acrylic is a synthetic plastic created by a chemical reaction between a catalyst and a monomer, resulting in a lightweight and transparent plastic product. Cast acrylic is made by pouring the liquid ingredients into a glass mold, where it hardens into a strong sheet. This is in contrast with extrusion, which pushes the liquid through an extruder and rollers to create a similar sheet. The process of casting creates a hard, sturdy, and uniform plastic sheet.

Benefits of Cast Acrylic

The first benefit of cast acrylic is its higher resistance when exposed to harsh solvents. Although other acrylics offer similar benefits, cast acrylic is far superior. This resistant characteristic of cast acrylic makes it a great product to use in applications that are in frequent contact with strong chemicals. In addition, cast acrylic has slightly greater thermal stability, so it’s also a great choice for high-temperature environments.

The second benefit is the casting process, which allows cast acrylic to be offered in thicker sizes. This makes cast acrylic the preferred choice for impact-resistant applications, such as security applications. Although the thickness of cast acrylic may bring up concerns about transparency, it still retains its optical clarity and is also available in a wide range of colors.

Lastly, the final benefit of cast acrylic is its ability to be customized. Because cast acrylic is made sheet-by-sheet, instead of extruding multiple sheets at once, buyers can make custom orders with much smaller minimums. Furthermore, the strength of cast acrylic also allows it to be easily machine and laser cut, without adding stress to the sheet.

Although cast acrylic materials are comparable to extruded acrylic, it is important to identify which characteristics matter the most for each intended application. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions about which acrylic material is right for your project.

Acrylic Color Codes
White 48% Light transmission | 2447
White 32% light transmission | 7328
White Opaque | 3015
Red | 2283
Yellow | 2037
Blue | 2050
Grey | 2064
Green | 2108
Orange | 2119
Bronze | 2370

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