Plexiglas® is a type of acrylic plastic that most people are familiar with. Plexiglas is an all-acrylic material that is typically associated with a polymeric, plastic material that is exceptionally durable, has great weathering capabilities, and is extremely resistant to UV radiation from sunlight and the negative effects of weathering. Plexiglas is an all-acrylic material, which means it is made completely of monomers, which are incredibly durable building blocks. While this is a transparent sheet of acrylic plastic, most acrylics are combined with other materials to make goods like paint, glue, and caulk.
Acrylic polymers can be made rigid and hard while yet being quite flexible. In banks, for example, plexiglas impact resistance is utilized to provide bulletproof barriers. Acrylic polymers, on the other hand, can be made to be flexible, tolerant of movement at low temperatures, and have a particularly elastic nature.
Acrylic polymers that are specifically tailored for roof applications and roof coatings have been developed. Manufacturers of coatings attempted to utilize home paints on roofs, but they proved to be too fragile. Elastomeric roof coatings have also been attempted using caulk and sealant technologies, however they have not been completely successful, resulting in failures. The technical specifications for a successful roof coating are now well understood.
Acrylic elastomeric roof coatings are a liquid-applied monolithic (seamless) elastomeric membrane that is produced in situ on the roof. These coatings are placed at a thickness of 5 to 10 times that of house paint. A typical exterior house paint thickness is 3 mils, or .003 inches. These would be 15 to 30 mils for elastomeric roofing applications. As a result, we’re discussing membrane-like materials. EPDM is typically 45 mils thick, while HypalonR and PVC are 60 mils thick. The membrane, on the other hand, comes out of a container with these coatings. As a result, the term “formed in-situ on the roof” is applied. It’s applied in the form of a liquid. It dries to form a durable membrane, similar to EPDM and HypalonR. However, unlike those materials, it does not have any seams. There is no need for seaming in the field or in the manufacturing. It is also completely attached. Unlike other single-ply membranes, these coatings are not mechanically attached.
The most important quality of any roof coating material is its capacity to last. Because of its endurance, acrylic technology is frequently employed in exterior applications including as sealants, PlexiglasR, industrial coatings, and home paints. Durability refers to the capacity to withstand the sun’s UV damage. When sunlight strikes a polymer like asphalt, some of the radiation is absorbed by the asphalt, which causes the polymer to vibrate and break up into smaller fragments. This is the degeneration that occurs as a result of the sun’s destructive impacts. This is easily seen in old asphalt roofing. It appears to be in good condition when new. Six months later, though, there is a dark chalky residue.
The sun’s UV deterioration is the cause of this. Because acrylic polymers are transparent to UV radiation, they do not absorb the sun’s harmful rays. The polymer does not absorb the radiation; instead, it reflects it back into the atmosphere. There is no transmission when the identical acrylic polymer is formed into a roof coating and the UV transmission is measured. The roof substrate is protected by UV blocking pigments in the coating, which deflect the degrading UV rays.