Acrylite OP-3 (Acrylic Sheet)

Acrylite OP-3 sheet is a continuously manufactured acrylic sheet specifically formulated to offer excellent ultraviolet (UV) filtering characteristics. Its light weight, superior impact resistance, and ease of fabrication, make it an ideal choice for framing articles of value. Acrylite OP-3 sheet combines the same UV protection with an abrasion and chemical resistant coating.

Why is it important to use a UV-filtering material?

Fabrics and paper become brittle, fade in color, or turn yellow when exposed to sunlight. A good example are street maps or magazines left in a car below the rear window. Printed paper articles left there often change noticeably within a few weeks. Those changes are mainly due to exposure to the UV-light in solar radiation.

How does UV-light damage documents and prints?

Natural high polymers from cellulose and protein are decomposed by solar irradiation with a high percentage of UV-light. Cellulose fibers, from which paper is made, are particularly sensitive to UV-radiation. In conjunction with water, which is always present in the fibers, and under UV-radiation, atmospheric oxygen reacts with the water to form hydrogen peroxide. This results in a gradual oxidative breakdown of the cellulose. This breakdown is the main factor causing decomposition of cellulose in light. Consequently, because oxygen and moisture cannot be eliminated, every precaution has to be taken to prevent the exposure of valuable articles of paper or cellulose fiber to UV-light. Similar reactions can be seen in some pigments, causing colors to fade.

Where is UV-light present?

UV-light is naturally present in sunlight. Approximately 6% of the total irradiated solar energy is in the UV range between 320 and 380 nm. But UV-light can also be present in artificial light. Specifically, halogen lamps emit a considerable amount of UV-light, and even common fluorescent lamps emit light in the UV range.

Fabrication and Formability

Acrylite OP-3 sheet can be easily fabricated. The same cutting, routing, drilling, and forming techniques used with Acrylite FF sheet can be performed on Acrylite OP-3 sheet.