Acrylate and Methacrylate Products

Close to 2 billion pounds of polymeric products based on acryhc and methacryhc esters are produced annually in the United States, about evenly divided between acrylates and methacrylates. A substantial fraction of the methacrylate products are copolymers. Most of the acrylate products are copolymers. The copolymers contain various combinations of acrylate and/or methacrylate monomers, including combinations of ester and acid monomers. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is by far the most important methacrylate ester monomer, accounting for 90% of the volume of methacrylic ester monomers. Ethyl and -butyl acrylates account for about 80% of the total volume of acrylate ester monomers. 

Trade names for acrylate and methacrylate polymer products include Acrylite, Dicalite, Lucite, Plexiglas, and Rhoplex. 

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