Looking Ahead Through Rohm & Haas Plexiglas (1947)

[Music] this is plexiglass a tough transparent and plastic of many uses perfected in the fiery Crucible of War light in weight high in Impact strength resistant to weathering and chemicals Superior in Optical quality dimensional stability and crystalclear transparency proved on far-flung battlefronts in bomber noses cockpit enclosures gun turrets Navigator's astrodom Gunner sighting panels and in many other parts under severe service conditions this is flexiglass 2ol one of the most fascinating and beautiful of the new plastic materials created by chemical science with its permanent Clarity sparkling Brilliance warm touch strength and ability to pipe light ready to bring new Beauty and comfort to your home and add charm to your peace time living just as there are many kinds of woods and metals so there are many kinds of plastics most of them are familiar in everyday life in factories offices and homes throughout the land but in this great variety of plastics there is one outstanding in Crystal Clear transparency sparkling Brilliance and stability against weathering and aging and that is plexiglass but just what is plexiglass to the chemist this material is a synthetic resin called an acrylic to the manufacturer it is a material of superior quality which can be fabricated or molded into almost any desired shape to others plexiglass is a material of gem-like beauty and sturdy utility either as a brilliant transparent plastic or as a colored or translucent material plexiglass comes basically from crude petroleum which as the result of a complicated chemical synthesis is transformed into a clear colorless liquid known as monomer when heated this clear liquid gradually thickens if it is poured into a mold and heated further it will finally Harden into a solid plastic which can be fabricated by a similar reaction the same monomer can be converted to a powder for molding both sheets and powder are now being dramatically applied to peacetime living in hundreds of beautiful and useful ways the service plexiglass rendered in aircraft provides striking evidence of the permanence and strength of this transparent acrylic plastic this permanence strength colorless transparency and resistance to chemicals weather and age are the result of more than 40 Years of active research by the Roman husk company plexiglass was developed in Rome and H Laboratories first brought to commercial production in Rome and H plants in the transition from war to peace plexiglass has found wide application in many fields with New Uses being conceived by designers and Engineers almost daily some users value plexiglass because of its excellent Optical properties it's perfect transparency others take advantage of its dimensional stability resist to weathering and lightness of weight in many applications the permanence of its electrical insulating qualities is the first consideration others like bus door windows require properties like high impact strength shatter resistance and flexibility even though plexiglass appears to be as fragile as ordinary glass in the hands of an expert it can easily be worked into an endless variety of beautiful and useful objects using ordinary wood or metal working tools plexiglass sheets can be sawed carved drilled routed or turned on a lathe plexiglass sheets can be cemented or heat welded into strong colorless joints since plexiglass is a thermoplastic sheets of the material can easily be formed when heated to moderate temperatures like those attained in ordinary ovens heated it is pliable as Rubber and can be tied in a knot stretched or formed into almost any desired shape cooled it stays rigidly in its new form and has the ability to resist severe impact without braking forming the large three-dimensional transparent plexiglass sections like the familiar bomber noses gun turrets and astrodom involves improved techniques in fabrication methods developed by Rome and H by using air pressure or vacuum plexiglass can be formed to various shapes determined by the shape of the chamber opening from a hemisphere made by vacuum forming or a windshield section made by Snapback forming to such articles as protective housings boxes lighting Globes and aircraft canopies all formed exactly to size and free from objectionable Optical Distortion the use of air pressure in still another way permits the economical making of various shapes simply by blowing air into a shape much as a glass blower Works results in a home for fish like this or a shallow water helmet like this so versatile is plexiglass and so wonderfully easy to work with that no matter what the field of application There is almost no limit to what can be done with it the same versatility is found in plexiglass molding powders in giant molding presses the powder is heated softened and forced into a mold of the desired form molding is used when a large number of identical parts are required notice that each is fully shaped as it comes from the mold requiring no further finishing many people compare plexiglass with ordinary silicate glass yet this new plastic differs from glass in many ways its flexibility shatter resistance and strength give plexiglass special advantages when best use is made of these properties in the Rome and hos Laboratories tests are constantly made tests that result in sound knowledge of these properties tests that indicate how plexiglass can be used for best results s for example how strong is it these laboratory technicians find out how tough plexiglass is how it will stand up under severe service how it will withstand repeated impact compression stresses outdoor exposure and accelerated weathering and when it comes to cold weather plexiglass can take it under severe conditions here in a specially designed cold room laboratory Engineers produce stratospheric temperatures of 67° below zero or a man-made 200 mph tornado to make sure plexiglass can really stand the gas here too are other devices for flexing and to simulate vibrations of many kinds other machines test Optical properties and still others measure its electrical insulating properties the resistance of plexiglass to the action of chemicals comes under NeverEnding scrutiny and because it resists the action of most chemicals it is used in many industrial applications day in and day out week after week every month of every year these complete Laboratory Testing facilities reveal information which helps solve specific problems in the design of plexiglass products of every kind and description formed and cooled plexiglass as we have seen stays rigidly in its new shape but the material has one fascin ating eccentricity when heated again it remembers its original shape and returns to it this is called plastic memory let's take a look and see how well this memory works when it is put to a test we'll begin with this plexiglass cube in the oven the cube is heated to a temperature of 260° f then in this pliable form the hot cube is compressed into the shape of a disc in this unnatural shape the material is under stress as long as the disc is kept cool it retains its pressed shape now heat is again applied and the camera shows the effect of this plastic memory as the disc becomes heated the stresses are relaxed allowing the plexiglass to return to its earlier shape memory complete practical application of this plastic odity misformed articles may be reheated and formed again without loss of material as transparent as Optical glass plexiglass transmits every color of the spectrum with 92% efficiency because of this Crystal Clarity when light enters one polished Edge plexiglass conducts it to the other Edge efficiently by repeated reflection between polished surfaces light can be piped even through curv plexiglass just as you see here for this reason plexiglass is used for medical instruments which conduct light but not the heat of light directly to the field of examination since light escapes wherever the surface is broken by sanding Machining or carving parts of these instruments are so treated to deliver light where it is needed in the same way any design sanded scribed or engraved on a flat sheet blows when the sheet is lighted from one Edge as a single panel such an edge lighted sheet can be used as a decorative screen or partition or as a patterned wall covering which gives off light a radiant wall with several Edge lighted sheets of plexiglass each carrying a portion of the design a three-dimensional picture may be produced here is truly a new art medium flexiglass is hard for a transparent plastic as hard as copper or aluminum yet it lends itself to delicate and intricate carving using drills and Burrs much like those a dentist uses a vast array of interesting and ex lighting designs can be carved into plexiglass so that they seem to be floating in the depths of this Crystal Clear material plexiglass can be struck a hard blow without breaking when struck violently it may break but into large dull edged pieces thin sheets are flexible and even thicker sheets possess a resilience which enables them to withstand blows which would easily shatter ordinary glass this safety feature finds application in many ways from machine guards to displays where this strength serves to special advantage since plexiglass transmits x-rays accurately fitting splints formed from sheet sheets permit the making of an x-ray plate of knitting bone fractures this material too lends its advantages to the making of light durable accurate contact lenses ground to proper corrective curvature as an engineering material plexiglass serves in models of structural parts which under polarized light reveal strain patterns of various loads and in another way ink proof drawing instruments of this material permit the draftsman a clear view of his work do not discolor with age and are not dangerously inflammable the unusual Optical properties of plexiglass have commanded the attention of those working in the realm of pure science its high transmission of ultraviolet and infrared radiation makes possible the use of plexiglass lenses in instruments used used for study in these and the visible ranges of the spectrum plexiglass is a new and captivating material a precious material to be cherished in your home as you cherish Fine Furniture oriental rugs and rot silver properly cared for it gives long and efficient service plexiglass should be washed simply with soap and warm water scouring compounds and cleaning fluids are unnecessary and often harmful an occasional application of good furniture or automobile wax will provide a lustrous protective surface in Industry machine inspection Windows see-through Parts gauges and dial covers and many other applications are made of plexiglass for its transparency strength and safety again the transparency material commends its use for safety devices because the moving parts are always visible and so the applications of plexiglass are many and varied this crystal clear plastic serves Aviation science Industry and the home in ways without number no sections cockpit canopies gun turrets Optical Parts medical instrument ments splints artificial eyes and teeth lamp bases and shapes to brighten bases of other materials lighting fixtures colorful products of all kinds almost invisible display fixtures shaped to graceful curves or bent to appealing angles transparent shelves Edge lighted signs and signs of three-dimensional quality crystal crystal clear or translucent the crystal Sparkle and liquid Clarity of jewelry carv bracelets roaches rings and pins and such things as decorative buttons umbrella handles handbag trim canes and chestman Edge lighted radio and automobile dials name plates compacts and cosmetic containers brush backs and crystall likee ornaments candy dishes jewelry and cigarette boxes bathroom fixtures drafting instruments table wear salad bowls coasters and Trays candlesticks bookends brush and comb sets handcarved figurines and statuettes and there are hundreds and hundreds of others all made by molders and Fabricators all over the country to whom Roman Hass supplies cast sheets of a number of thicknesses and sizes and molding powders for compression and injection molding and extruding in both its forms sheets or molding powders plexiglass is available not only as a clear transparent substance but also in a number of colors both transparent and translucent ranging from delicate tints to deep Shades which with care look their brilliant best today tomorrow or a year from now looking ahead through plexiglass brings a glimpse into a wonderful tomorrow a tomorrow where this crystal clear plastic turns its amazing characteristics to beautifying the home to sweep away traditional styling in interior architecture planned by the Roman hos company pioneers and principal producers of acrylic Plastics to show Architects designers and homeowners just how plexiglass can add to the beauty and comfort of the home this home of Tomorrow this dream suite reveals new uses for Plexiglass in walls doors and fixtures glamorous effects in accessories and fittings all inviting and warm to the touch amazingly light in weight yet strong and shatter resistant truly a Dream Suite of Tomorrow suggesting new comfort and enjoyment for today to enclose the shower a sheet of plexiglass is curved engraved with an appropriate design and lighted from one Edge the semicircular sliding door also plexiglass completes the enclosure flexiglass shelves treat a conventional idea with transparent Beauty the medicine cabinet door provides extra shelf space with a plexiglass warning label for the poison shelf a dressing table of built-in efficiency and Beauty on one side the pedestal swings open to reveal plexiglass trays for Cosmetics hose and lingerie the trays are are crystal clear formed with rounded corners for easy cleaning a stack of drawers makes up the other pedestal with plexiglass liners to prevent snagging of [Applause] lingerie radiant walls brilliantly decorative in color possible because plexiglass pipes light provides soft flattering illumination the same lamps that give lustrous Beauty to the radiant walls light kned at the mirror the lustrous and gem-like Brilliance of plexiglass adds new interest to door handles to a lazy Susan hat [Music] tree and to Sho racks a graciously curved transparent front wall of the bedroom or Slumber Wing lends an air of spaciousness to a room quite small the sweeping transparency removes all feeling of confinement and air conditioning becomes as easy and inexpensive as the operation of a refrigerator unusual in plastic Artistry is this mural painted in light in color the three-dimensional depth is produced by an assembly of engraved plexiglass sheets EDG lighted to make a glow of restful Beauty yes in the home of Tomorrow there's plexiglass everywhere plexiglass partition plexiglass Furniture even plexiglass hats on plexiglass recks plexiglass all around for beauty utility and long life here is comfortable and practical living built around the amazing properties of the most glamorous plastic of all plexiglass here is great service in Industry built around the versatility of this wared plastic plexiglass here too is an exciting challenge to the imagination and a vision of things to come when you are looking ahead through flexiglass