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 that is plexiglass just like the glass to the chemist this material is a synthetic rest called an acrylic to the manufacturer it is a material of superior quality which can be fabricated or molded into almost any desire from crude petroleum which as the result of a complicated chemical synthesis is transformed into a player colorless like what's known as monomers heated this clear  by a similar reaction the same monomer can be converted to a powder form 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 provide striking evidence of the prominence and strength of this transparent acrylic plastic this prominence colorless transparency and resistance to chemicals weather and age are the result of more than forty years of active research by the roman hof company like the glass was developed in roman laboratories first brought to commercial production the transition from war to peace like the glass has found wide application in many fields with new uses being conceived by designers and engineers almost daily from us there is value plexiglass because of its excellent optical properties its perfect transparency others take advantage of its dimensional stability resistance to weathering and likeness of white in many applications the prominence of its electrical insulating qualities is the first consideration others like bus 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 door metal working tools like the glass sheets can be sawed car stretched or formed into almost any desire cooled it stays wretchedly in its new form and has the ability to resist severe impact without breaking forming large three dimensional transparent plexiglass sections like the familiar bomber astrodome involved improved techniques in fabrication methods developed by by using air pressure or vacuum like the glass can be formed to various shapes determined by the shape of the chamber opening from a ham a spare made by a vacuum forming or a wind shield 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 the 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 plexiglas 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 the same versatility as found in plexiglass moving p in giant molding prices the powder is heated soften 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 them all requiring no further finishing many people compare plexiglas with ordinary silicates life yet this new stick differs from glass in many ways it flexibility shatter resistance and strength give plexiglass special advantages when best use is made of these properties in the roman and half laboratories tests are constantly made tests that result in sound knowledge of these properties tests that indicate how plexiglas can be used for best results for example how strong is it these laboratory technicians find out how tough compression stresses outdoor exposure and exhilarated weathering and when it comes to cold weather like the glass can take it under severe conditions here in a specially designed cold room laboratory engineers produce stratospheric temperature is up sixty seven degrees below zero or a manmade two hundred mile an hour tornado to make sure plexiglas can relay stand the gaff here to our 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 never ending scrutiny and because it resists the action of most chemicals it is used in many industrial applications day in and day out week after every month of every year these complete laboratory testing facilities reveal information which helps solve basic problems in the design of plexiglas products of every kind and description all of them cool plexiglas as we have seen stays rigidly in its new shape but the material has one fascinating eccentricity when he did it 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 will begin with this plexiglas cube in the oven the cube is heated to a temperature of two hundred and sixty degrees fahrenheit then in this pliable form the hot cube is compressed into the shape of a desk in this on natural shape the material is under stress as long as the desk is kept cool it retains its pressed shape now he is again applied and the camera shows the effect of this plastic memory as the disk becomes heated the stresses are relaxed allowing the plexiglass to return to with earlier shake memory complete practical application of this plastic oddity misformed articles may be reheated and formed again without loss of material as transparent as optical glass like the glass transmits every color of the spectrum with ninety two percent efficiency because of this crystal clarity when light enters one polished edge plexiglas conducted to the other edgy efficiently by repeated reflection between polished surfaces light can be piped even through curved 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 standard described or engraved on a flat sheet glows 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 low covering which gives off light a radiant wall with several edge lighted sheets of plexiglas each carrying a portion of the design a three dimensional picture may be produced here is truly a new art medium plexiglass it is hard for a transparent plastic as hard as copper or aluminum yet it lends itself to delicate and intricate carving although they seem to be floating in the depths of this crystal clear material and even thicker she was asked a resilience which enables them to withstand blows which would easily shatter ordinary glass 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 permit the making of an x ray plate missing bone fractures this material to land its advantages to the making of  right accurate contact lenses ground to a proper corrective curvature as an engineering material plexiglass serves in models of structural parts which under polarized li reveals strain patterns of various loads and in another way proof drawing instruments of this material permit the draftsman a clear view of his work do not disc with age and are not dangerous lay inflammable they are unusual optical properties of plexiglas have commanded the attention of those working in the realm of pure science transmission  and infrared radiation makes possible the use of plexiglass lenses in instruments used for study in these and the visible ranges of the spectrum plexiglas is a new one captivating material precious material to be cherished in your home as you cherish fine furniture oriental rugs and rocks silver properly cared for it gives a long and efficient service plexiglass should be washed simply with soap and warm water scouring compounds and cleaning fluids are unnecessary and often harmful and occasional application of good furniture automobile provide a last protective service industry machine inspection windows see through fire gauges and dial covers and many other applications made  plexiglass for its transparency strength and safety again they transparency of material its use or safety devices because the moving parts are always visible i'm so the applications of plexiglas are many and varied this crystal clear plastic says aviation industry and the home in ways without numbers no sections brighten bases of other materials lighting fixtures colorful products of all kinds almost invisible display fixtures shaped a graceful curves or bent to appealing angles transparent shelves edge lighted signs and signs of three dimensional quality crystal clear or translucent the crystal sparkle and likely clarity of jewelry bracelet nameplates compact and cosmetic containers brush backs and crystal like ornaments and the dishes jewelry and cigarettes boxes bathroom fixtures drafting instruments table where salad bowls coasters and trays candlesticks book and brush and comb set and car figurines and statuettes and there are hundreds and hundreds of others all made by motors in fabricators all over the country to whom roman high's supplies cast sheets of a number of take misses and sizes and molding potters extruding in both its forms sheets or molding bodies like the glass is available not only as a clear transparent substance but also in a number of colors both transparent and translucent ranging from delicate dance to a deep shade which with care look they're brilliant best today tomorrow or a year from now