While most of us know how damaging UV can be to human skin, it might come as a surprise that UV can damage some plastics, too. As UV rays break down chemical bonds in polymers, plastics often disintegrate over time.
Though you might think that all plastics have similar properties to each other, you need to choose carefully if you’re intent on getting a UV resistant plastic.
While you won’t be able to get your hands on a 100% UV resistant plastic, you will be able to buy plastic sheets with varying degrees of UV resistance. Whatever you’re needing UV resistant plastic for in your business, we’ll have lots of options for you.
So, which plastics are particularly UV resistant? Let’s take a look.
UV resistant plastics
These are a few plastic types that offer superior UV resistance…
Acrylic
Most plastic sheet suppliers will recommend acrylic as the obvious UV resistant plastic choice. It offers excellent UV resistance (meaning it won’t turn yellow in sunlight), has great longevity, and is scratch resistant. If you need UV resistant plastic for an outdoor use, like signage or panels, it could be one to consider.
Acrylic’s UV resistance is unmatched by almost all commonly used plastics, even over a long period of time. As it’s stocked by most plastic sheet suppliers, including us, you’ll find it easy to find a great product for your needs.
Just keep in mind that despite acrylic having excellent strength, it is a brittle plastic. As snapping can be an issue, it won’t be ideal for all uses.
Take a look at our acrylic plastic sheets. We stock a wide range of colours, tints, thicknesses, and sizes for a variety of uses — like framing, glazing, and signage.
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate blocks both UVA and UVB rays. As it’s also incredibly strong and tolerant of extreme temperature fluctuations, it can be a great option if you’re creating high-impact or hardwearing items such as safety shields, windows, and helmets.
Check out our polycarbonate sheet options for indoor and outdoor applications. We even offer specific UV products like our Makrolife UV protected polycarbonate, Saphir UV hardcoated polycarbonate, and UV protected dual pattern polycarbonate. If you have any questions about the best sheets for you, just ask!
Other UV resistant plastics
Some other great UV resistant options include:
- High density polyethylene (HDPE)
- Polyamide-Imide (PAI)
- Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
Keep in mind that lots of other plastic types can also be made to be UV resistant with the addition of coatings or seals. If you’re hoping to use a particular plastic due to its beneficial properties but aren’t sure about its UV resistance, chat to us about whether there are any products that contain a combination of properties you’re looking for.
Plastic sheet suppliers | Plastics Plus
At Plastics Plus, we stock a huge range of high quality plastic materials — from acrylic to PETG. Whatever you’re looking for in your plastic sheets, chat to us about your options. We’re sure to have the perfect solution for your needs and our friendly team members are always happy to help.
While we are based in Wolverhampton and Nottingham, we can deliver our plastic sheets to businesses across the UK. See our whole plastic product range. Learn more about our service and contact us today. Our plastic experts are always on hand to help you find the perfect materials.