Tempered Glass Vs. Acrylic

Both tempered glass and acrylic are often considered when people look for a safer alternative to traditional glass. Each product is made differently and each has its pros and cons. When choosing between the two, it is important to compare their uses and take into account the many different pros and cons. Does this Spark an idea?

Tempered Glass

A type of safety glass, tempered glass will shatter into small pebbles when broken rather than into sharp shards. To create tempered glass, several steps involving heating and rapid cooling are used. Though tempered glass is safer in many ways, it does have some negative aspects. For example, once glass has gone through the tempering process, it cannot be re-cut, as it will break into small pieces.

Acrylic

Transparent plastic, better known as acrylic, is a man-made plastic that contains acrylic acid, such as polymethyl methacrylate. Acrylic can go by many different names including Lucite or Plexiglass. Like many plastics, acrylic is extremely versatile. It can be cut, colored, drilled into, molded and formed. To create acrylic, acrylic polymers must react with a monomer (methyl methacrylate) and with a catalyst (organic peroxide). Once the reaction occurs, three types of acrylic can be created: powder, flat sheets or rod and tube shapes.

Uses

Both tempered glass and acrylic have many common uses such as backboards for basketball hoops, aquariums, terrariums and greenhouses. Tempered glass or acrylic can also be used for various types of windows, picture frames and artwork. Lesser known uses could include various pieces of furniture, the windows on airplanes, statues, artwork and donation boxes.

Durability

Tempered glass is heat resistant, making it ideal for items like a coffee carafe or the window of an oven. This gives tempered glass an advantage over acrylic in terms of durability. However, acrylic is more impact resistant than tempered glass in situations where heat resistance is not an issue. Acrylic will not shatter into small pieces but instead, will crack.

Additional Pros and Cons

Glass is typically more difficult to scratch, whereas acrylic can easily be scratched or in some cases, dented. In terms of weight, a 2 square-foot sheet of glass is significantly heavier than a sheet of acrylic in the same size. Acrylic can be molded into different shapes without distorting the view, whereas molded glass will bend the light and distort the view. Lastly, glass will maintain its clarity after several years, but plastics such as acrylic will often yellow or discolor as they age.