Plexiglass Vs. Tempered Glass

Function

Plexiglass can be used as a barrier around balconies and in windows where the likelihood of breaking is high. It also works well for commercial display cases. By law, showers and other bathroom installations can only be made with tempered glass because it breaks in small, oval pea-sized pieces rather than shards with jagged edges. Shelving, windshields and lighting fixtures make use of tempered glass, as do fireplace screens, eyeglasses and medical equipment.

Plexiglass is inexpensive, impervious to weather and comes in sheets, rods and tubes. It can be tinted or textured. Circular saws and routers cut straight or curved edges on plexiglass. Scribing and breaking lines only cuts straight edges. Drilling plexiglass requires steel drill bits with sharpened tips and water for cooling the drill bit. Plexiglass can be joined through bolting, welding or cementing. Since tempered glass shatters when cut or drilled, it's manufactured in the correct shape and size prior to tempering. Tempered glass---used in cooking and baking containers---tolerates a constant 4700 degrees F.

To dust plexiglass and tempered glass, spray on a solution of dishwashing liquid and water and swab with a flannel or jersey dust rag. Clean both tempered glass and plexiglass with mild soap and rinse with wet chamois. Ammonia based products can be used on tempered glass but will make plexiglass cloudy. Buff out small scratches on plexiglass by hand before applying polish with a damp flannel cloth. Sandpaper removes deeper scratches, beginning with 320 grit and working down to 500 or 600A grit paper.

Plexiglass manufacturing releases harmful vapors, as can the cementing of plexiglass joints. Under high stress conditions, plexiglass may develop crazing, which can worsen when exposed to solvents. Three other problems experienced by plexiglass include damage from ammonia-based cleaners, chips, crazing or cracks from dropping and damage from rough handling by children. Tempered glass scratches are usually due poor quality glass with debris fused to the surface during fabrication. Tempered glass will fracture into small pieces when placed under stresses of 24,000 psi or when an object is hurled at it at speeds of 60 feet per second.

Good ventilation during plexiglass manufacturing and while cementing joints, as well as manufacturing and cementing at recommended temperatures should reduce or prevent vapor buildup. Protect plexiglass by not subjecting it to high stress loads, dropping from any height and tying it down during transport so it isn't thrown from the top of a moving vehicle. In addition, teaching children to treat plexiglass like fine furniture will extend its life. Tempering glass generally prevents most scratching if done correctly. Protecting tempered glass from high stress loads and flying projectiles will keep it from shattering.