Acrylic Mirror vs PETG Mirror
Plastic mirrors are widely used throughout the world now. There are many options in plastic, mirrors with the material of Acrylic, PC, PETG and PS. These kinds of sheets are very similar, it is hard to identify which sheet and pick the right one for your application. Please follow DHUA, you will know more information about the difference about these material. Today we will introduce the comparison of the two most commonly used plastics in any industry, Acrylic mirror, and PETG mirror in the following table.
| PETG | Acrylic | |
| Strength | PETG plastics are extremely rigid and tough.PETG is 5 to 7 times stronger than acrylic, but this cannot serve outdoor purposes. | Acrylic plastics are flexible and you can use them for curved applications smoothly. They can be used for indoor and outdoor purposes. |
| Color | PETG plastics can be colored based on costs and production runs. | Acrylic plastics are available in standard colors or can be colored as per requirement. |
| Cost | PETG plastics are a little bit more pricy and their costs depend on the application of the material. | Being more efficient and flexible, acrylic is more affordable compared to PETG plastics. The price of acrylic plastic depends on the thickness of the material. |
| Production Issues | PETG plastics cannot be polished. This might yellow around the edges if an improper laser is used. Also, the bonding of this plastic requires special agents. | There are no production issues while producing acrylic plastics. Acrylic is easier to bond compared to PETG plastics. |
| Scratches | PETG has a higher risk of catching scratches. | Acrylic plastics are more scratch-resistant than PETG, and they do not catch a scratch very easily. |
| Stability | PETG is more impact-resistant and rigid. This does not break easily compared to acrylic plastics. | acrylic is easier to break, but this is a flexible plastic. |
| Durability | On the other hand, PETG plastics cannot be broken easily, but there are some issues on where you will set them. | Acrylic is flexible, but it can be broken if enough pressure is applied. However, if you’re using acrylic plastic for windows, skylights, POS displays, you don’t need to be worried about it. This plastic can withstand harsh weather and very strong impacts as well. Especially compared to glass, the durability and strength are way more superior. The only thing is that it’s not the strongest plastic on the market, but if you’re using it for a not so extreme purpose, it can serve you pretty well. |
| Workability | It is easy to work with both materials as they are easy to cut with any tools like- jigsaws, circular saw or CNC cutting. However, you should make sure that the blades are sharp enough for cutting as blunt blades will generate heat and deform the material due to heat. For laser cutting acrylic, you need to set the power to a fixed level. Low power of laser cutter is needed while cutting a PETG material. The clear edge of acrylic is a unique feature and is not found very often. This clear edge can be obtained by laser cutting the acrylic in the right way. It is also possible to get clear edges for PETG, but these materials risk tinting while usi8ng laser cut. For acrylic, you can use any standard glue to do the bonding and it works perfectly. In PETG, you are limited to super glue and a few other bonding agents only. But we recommend the bonding of this material via mechanical fixing. When it comes to thermoforming, both the materials are suitable and both can be thermoformed. However, there is a slight difference. PETG does not lose its strength when thermoformed, but from experience, we have seen that sometimes acrylic loses its strength in the process of thermoforming and becomes fragile. | |
| DIY Applications | If you’re a DIY-er, you’ll love to use acrylic plastic. It is one of the most used plastic materials on earth for DIY uses. Because of their lightweight, strong and most importantly, flexible nature, they are very easy to work with. In addition, you can easily cut and glue acrylic pieces without a ton of knowledge or expertise. All these things make acrylic the best option for DIY projects. | |
| Cleaning | We recommend no harsh cleaning for both acrylic and PETG plastics. Alcohol-based cleaners are not advised. Cracking will become more evident if you apply it to any of these materials. Clean them with soap and water gently by rubbing with the soap and washing with water afterward. | |
Please follow our social media and website to learn more information about difference of other plastics.
Post time: Jul-14-2022