Acrylic Standards

[USFEngineer]

Does anyone know of any standards for Acrylic panels or windows? Or are the standards the same for glass windows/panels and acrylic windows/panels? I am working on a project that I am trying to determine whether the damage to the acrylic windows/panels are a construction/manufacturing defect or caused by wind/debris or just over exposure. Any leads would be appreciated.

 

[Ron]

In the context of using acrylic in lieu of glass, it has to meet the same criteria, structurally, as glass. For other properties, it is obviously different than glass. It is softer, scratches easier, does not withstand direct flame in the same way as glass, will burn, gives off fumes and smoke, can be chemically reactive (glass is generally only attacked by a couple of chemicals), and their physical properties are different.

Acrylic is flexurally stronger and obviously less brittle than typical glass. Tempered glass can be very strong.

For investigation of a failure, I would look carefully at the manifestation of the issue. Is there apparent impact damage (gouging, non-preferential orientation of cracks, "star" cracks). Manufacturing defects will show in mechanical property testing. There should be an ASTM standard that applies to the material. Have it tested in accordance with the standard.

For exposure, the most common manifestation of deterioration is very fine, closely spaced cracks that do not open up. If you look at the material at an angle you can generally see these fine cracks. Some yellowing may also occur, but not always, depending on the formulation of the acrylic.