Plexiglas Vs Glass 
The material of acrylic is often used as an alternative to glass. While there are benefits to both acrylic and glass viewing panels depending on the application, in recent years, acrylic has far surpassed glass in versatility and multiple uses. Differences in the properties of the two materials include:
- Large glass panels, usually 2 or more pieces of material laminated together are also more difficult and costly to transport and install, while large acrylic panels are usually single pieces of lighter weight material that can be cut, shaped, bent and polished more easily than glass and can be shipped in sections and seamlessly assembled on site.
- Acrylic glass is less dense; its density can range from 1150-1190 kg/m3. This is less than half the density of glass which ranges 2400 to 2800 kg/m3.
- Acrylic glass has a higher impact strength than glass and will not shatter.
- acrylic glass is softer and more easily scratched than glass. This can be overcome with scratch-resistant coatings.
- acrylic glass is typically processed at 240-250 degrees Celsius.
- acrylic glass transmits more light (up to 93% of visible light) than glass.
- Unlike glass, acrylic glass does not filter ultraviolet (UV) light. acrylic glass transmits UV light down to 300 nm. HydroSight adds an additive to acrylic glass sheets to make them absorb UV light. acrylic glass molecules have great UV stability compared to poly carbonate.(read more on acrylic uv resistance)
- Acrylic glass allows infrared light of up to 2800 nm wavelength to pass. IR of longer wavelengths, up to 25,000 nm, are essentially blocked. Special formulations of colored acrylic glass exist to allow specific IR wavelengths to pass while blocking visible light (for remote control or heat sensor applications, for example).
