All about mirror plastic

The creation of modern design involves the active use of the most modern materials. Mirror plastic is already widely used in exteriors and interiors today, and we can confidently predict its further growth in popularity. In this article, we will tell you all about mirror plastics.

The very name of the material (or rather, the group of materials) already fully reveals the essence of what it is. Mirror plastic is a laboratory-created polymer that is so highly reflective that it looks like a mirror from the outside. The logic of using such a material lies on the surface: a plastic product often turns out to be stronger against impacts, in addition, it is safer due to the fact that it does not give sharp fragments when destroyed.

Mirror plastic is also often called plexiglass, although the second concept is broader - it means any materials that resemble glass, but they can also be transparent, while the material we are considering reflects the surrounding objects no worse than a real mirror.

Each type of mirror plastic has its own advantages and disadvantages, but it is not for nothing that different materials are combined into a group with a common name - they have enough in common. If you look at the list of advantages of such materials, it becomes clear why mirror plastic is conquering the market so intensively, because it has the following features:

• does an excellent job with the main task - reflects the light;
• not afraid of ultraviolet radiation or any other external influences, including bad weather and its sudden changes, contact with caustic substances - it does not even turn yellow over time;
• suitable for use in humid environments, as it is not suitable as a breeding ground for any bacteria;
• weighs less than glass, which allows you to spend less on supporting structures and create stunning "airy" compositions;
• easy to process;
• 100% safe from an environmental point of view, even when burning does not emit toxins;
• much less afraid of blows than his main competitor.

Nevertheless, ordinary glass mirrors have not disappeared from sale for good, and this is not surprising, because mirror plastic has disadvantages, namely:

• easily and rather quickly becomes dirty, and therefore requires regular cleaning;
• is flammable, unlike glass, so it should be mounted with caution near electrical appliances and wiring;
• it beats with difficulty and does not give sharp fragments, but it is very easily scratched, it can only be cleaned with special non-abrasive agents;
• perfectly reflects light, but gives a slightly greater distortion of the "picture" than glass.

Mirror plastic is not one material, but three different materials at once with different properties. Each of them must be considered separately.

This material is very widespread and has many names - PMMA, polymethyl methacrylate, plexiglass and plexiglass. The above-described advantages and disadvantages of mirror plastic ideally describe acrylic - all the mentioned pros and cons are presented in approximately equal measure, without distortions.

By itself, plexiglass is just an analogue of glass, it does not reflect light.A mirror with his participation is made in the same way as with glass - they take sheet acrylic, and on the reverse side, reflective amalgam is applied to the sheet. After that, the visible surface of the plexiglass is usually additionally covered with a protective film, and the amalgam is painted on the back. Self-adhesive material based on polymethyl methacrylate is also available.

PMMA is easy to cut, but the speed of the cutter must be high, otherwise the edge will be uneven. In addition, the cutting site must be cooled in the process, otherwise the edges may melt. The use of acrylic mirrors is quite wide and varied.

The polystyrene version of mirror plastic is actually a complex polymer of polystyrene and rubber. Thanks to this chemical composition, the material acquires a special shockproof strength - in comparison with it, even plexiglass seems to be quite soft. Such a mirror is much more reliable in terms of the formation of cracks of any size.

Amalgam is not used in the production of polystyrene-based mirrors - a special polyester film is used to reflect light, on which a thinnest layer of aluminum is applied. In this case, the polystyrene base is generally opaque, and if so, then the reflector is glued precisely from the working side, and not from the back.

Processing of polystyrene mirrors requires great care - otherwise there is a high risk of "getting" the reflective film to peel off from the base. Taking this into account, the film is often specially removed from the cutting line before cutting. At the same time, the material allows printing on its surface with two-component ink. Polystyrene mirrors are good because they have significant flexibility, so they can be used for finishing non-planar surfaces and creating three-dimensional figures.

PVC mirrors are made according to the same principle as the polystyrene ones described above: their base is opaque, and therefore hidden from prying eyes, polyvinyl chloride, while the outer side acquires reflective properties due to pasting with a special film, on top of which another one is glued - a protective one.

In addition to the advantages typical for most mirror plastics, PVC mirrors also have the obvious advantage that they do not support combustion. Moreover, it is elastic and flexible, which means that it can be used for finishing surfaces of any complex shape. You can cut such material with any tool without restrictions, while the sheets can not only be glued, but also welded.

It is this material that potentially has every chance of a full-scale conquest of the market, because it is almost impossible to find fault with it. The only reason why it still hasn't won consumer love on a grand scale is that it costs a lot.

The variety of sizes for mirror plastic is enormous, considering that these are different materials, which are also produced by numerous manufacturers around the globe. For example, polymethyl methacrylate can be found in sheets of various sizes and shapes, but with dimensions no more than 305 by 205 cm. The thickness is relatively small - only 2-3 mm. The adhesive base may or may not be present.

Mirror polystyrene, despite its flexibility, is also sold not in roll form, but in sheets. At the same time, the fragments are slightly smaller - it is difficult to find a sheet larger than 300 by 122 cm on sale.The thickness of the product ranges from 1 to 3 mm and here you still need to think about the choice: a too large sheet a priori cannot be thin, but an increase in thickness negatively affects flexibility and increases fragility.

PVC sheets the standard type is characterized by a small thickness - often at the level of 1 mm. At the same time, their sizes are the most modest - up to 100 by 260 cm.

It is wrong to assume that all mirrors are the same - in fact, their reflective coating is made of metal, which gives some reflection. Modern mirrors, including acrylic ones with a transparent layer on top of a reflective one, are made on the basis of aluminum or its analogs, since this metal is white and in fact has no other shade. This solution is often called silver, but there is another “precious” version of the design - gold. In this design, the mirror gives a kind of warmer, slightly yellowish reflection, which can often be seen if letters are made of the material on some office building.

By analogy with "silver" and "gold" mirrors, mirror plastic is now produced in other shades. For the same offices, the black tint has gained immense popularity, when a mirror reflects a picture, but at the same time absorbs most of the light falling on it. Because of this, the reflection can only be seen from a short distance. Only near objects will be in detail, while from afar, the surface will seem just dull shiny.

Offices were among the first to use mirror plastic, as well as any other enterprises that have their own showcases and signboards. Bright and effective, and most importantly, the material capable of withstanding the onslaught of the surrounding world quickly became an integral element of the chic of megalopolises. - they cut out letters and whole figures from it, resorted to engraving on top of them, and it turned out so beautifully and attractively that it was simply impossible not to notice such an object.

However, over time, manufacturers and designers realized that mirror plastic would also find a place in the interior of an ordinary apartment. Home solutions, of course, still cannot boast the same chic and in most cases look like an ordinary mirror. However, parents of young children highly appreciate this material for the fact that it generally cracks much less, and even when broken, it does not give traumatic fragments.

This fact forced furniture manufacturers to use the material more actively. Today, small table mirrors and large mirror panels are produced from it in the bathroom, and such mirrors are inserted into wardrobes. In the end, this material can be played up in the interior in a different way, finishing the ceiling and walls with it in whole or in fragments.

You can learn how to cut mirror polystyrene from the video below.