It would be hard to visit a household in this day and age and not find some sort of plastic containers being used to store a wide range of good. Because of its amazing versatility, plastic has become an important part of our lives, from the easily recyclable food containers that we purchase in the grocery store every week to the beautifully crafted display cases that contain our most valued possessions. While many people think of plastic as a cheap alternative to other materials such as glass, the fact of the matter is that there are specific benefits that come from using high-quality acrylic displays over their glass counterparts.
For those looking to display beautiful object, valuable collectibles, or their school of tropical fish, acrylic is a prime material to use. Acrylic aquariums and sports display cases can be crafted with a flawless, pristine finish. Perhaps more importantly, acrylic has a higher transparency rate than glass of the same thickness. This means that you'll have a better view of what's inside your case, even when the walls are thicker. Equivalent glass cases will only allow 70% of the light to pass through the walls. Thicker glass, such as those used in aquariums, will often have a slightly green tint, making it harder to see the truly vibrant colors of the fish living inside.
Acrylic can also be formed into strong shapes more easily than glass. This is the same principle that makes plastic injection mold design such a valuable manufacturing tool. Whereas glass aquariums are joined together by silicone, acrylic can be formed into a seamless aquarium or case, making it stronger and eliminating common problems with similar glass cases such as joint splitting. Joints in acrylic cases are essentially fused at the molecular level, with the seams melted together to form a single solid piece.
One factor that is particularly beneficial in the case of aquariums is the fact that acrylic can retain heat better than glass. If there is a power outage, the water in an acrylic aquarium will stay warm for longer than in a glass aquarium.