Who would have thought that recycled plastic(RA-30) sunglasses can give you fashion and function? More people are getting aware of the world’s natural issues. So, eyewear manufacturers have been innovating. They are turning their attention to building sunglasses good for the environment.
What is recycled plastic RA-30(Recycled Modified PMMA)?
The based material is recycled from clarity & transparent PMMA products, which were used in demo lens & display stands, etc.
PMMA is a crystal clarity engineering plastic with very excellent performance in optical features. However, it is not toughness enough.
For improving the toughness and impact-resistance in low temperature, we modify rPMMA by blended with acrylic butadiene-styrene copolymer.
It is developed for eyewear, especially appropriate for reading glasses，optical glasses and sunglasses.
But how do eyewear producers make recycled plastic sunglasses? What can you get from using a pair of eyewear from recycled plastic materials? Let us check out the things to know about recycled eyewear fashion.
The Technical Datasheet Of Recycled Plastic
| Properties | Para | Standard | Result | Properties | Para | Standard | Result | |
| Melt Flow Rate | 240℃/3.8Kg | ISO 1133 | 2.0 g/10min | Rockwell Hardness | R scale | GB/T 3398.2-2008 | 115 | |
| HDT | 0.45 Mpa | ISO 306 | 85℃ | M scale | 50 | |||
| 1.8 MPa | 76℃ | Gravity | / | ISO 1183 | 1.16 | |||
| Mechanical Characteristics | Transparency | D65 | ISO 13468/2 | 90 | ||||
| Flex. Modulus | 2mm/min | ISO 178 | 1900MPa | Haze | <3.0 | |||
| Flex. Strength | 60MPa | |||||||
| Tensile Strength | 50mm/min | ISO 527 | 53MPa | Recommended Processing Conditions | ||||
| Stress at Break | 55MPa | Dry Temp. | 75~85℃ | Processing Temp. | 230~245℃ | |||
| Strain at Break | 35 | Dry Time | 3 hrs | Mold Temp. | <65℃ | |||
| Charpy Impact | 23℃ | ISO 179 | / | |||||
| Charpy Impact Notched | 10.0KJ/㎡ | |||||||
| Izod Impact | 23℃ | ISO 180/1A | / | |||||
| Izod Impact Notched | 10.0KJ/㎡ |
Defining Recycled Plastic Sunglasses
Technology has offered eyeglass producers ways of making recycled sunglasses. What’s more special about it is that the users can wear eco-friendly eyewear. Each pair is from thrown plastic material turned into something beautiful and useful.
Recycled Plastic Sunglasses provide fashion and function. So, you can make yourself look good while protecting your eyes.
It helps them create optic and reading glasses and various styles of sunglasses. Since each pair is BPA-free, it is safe to use for all ages.
Where Are Recycled Plastic Sunglasses From?
PMMA or acrylic is a rigid plastic that is easy to mold. This material is an excellent alternative to less resilient glasses.
PMMA has a lot of beneficial properties. So, this material makes it ideal for various applications. Some producers use it in car windows, smartphone screens, to aquariums.
What makes acrylic suitable for sunglasses application? It’s because it offers high-resistance to sunlight and weathering. Recycled sunglasses offer unlimited coloring options as well. It makes your fashion more flexible.
The Features Of Recycled Plastic Sunglasses.
● Balanced in toughness & strength
● BPA-Free
● Good anti-scratch
● Clarity & high transmission
● Excellent UV-resistance
What The Chemical Tests Can Recycled Plastic Sunglasses Passed?
● Rohs (heavy metals, PBB, PBDE)
● Reach SVHC 205,
● Total 27 phthalates content test
● Organotin compounds
● 18 PAHs
● Short chain chlorinated paraffins
● Alkylphenol and alkylphenol ethoxylate
● Total BPx (BPA, BPS, BPAF, BPF)
How Recycled Plastic Eyewear Are Made?
Don’t you feel good knowing that you are using a recycled item? It may seem a little, but it means a lot for our community and planet. It takes effort, time, and technology to produce something new from the trash.
Recycled items start with collecting plastics as the primary material. Producers get it from recycling programs and collection points.
Then, they would start the recycling process, which we’re going to talk about next. So, let us look at the process of making recycled plastic sunglasses.
Injection Molding
The recycled plastic sunglasses go through injection molding after sorting fee usable recycled materials. Injection molding refers to the process of molding the desired shapes of frames.
Most of the time, this process requires a melt temperature of about 200 to 250 degrees Celsius. Then, the molding temperature is about 40 to 80 degrees Celsius. Controlling high temperatures is crucial to get the right shape.
Painting of the Recycled Plastic Sunglasses
So what happens after shaping the recycled plastic sunglasses? The producer will paint or put the pattern on the frame.
Water transfer and heat transfer are the two processes in doing it. These methods offer fast and accurate painting or designing of the frames.
Heat Transfer
Heat transfer is transferring a pattern design on the frames through high heat. First, the producer would print the design on a thin sheet of paper wax.
Then, they will put the pre-shaped sunglasses in a heat press. This machine uses a high temperature. It transfers the design from the sheet of paper wax to the frame.
With one push of the heat press, it can paint several frames at a time. This process provides results fast as a flash of lightning.
The heat transfer produces durable, and heat-resistant designs. It can create high-resolution designs with bright and bold colors as well.
Water Transfer
Water transfer is another way of designing a pattern on the frame. Some call it hydrographic, hydro dipping, or hydrographic printing.
This process can transfer a high-definition graphic pattern to the frame. Water transfer uses a water-soluble film. Then, it contains the printed patterns.
The film dissolves in the water, leaving ink on the surface. It looks like floating lilies. Then with one smooth deep, the frames will get painted with the design.
Assembly
After drying, it is time to assemble the other parts of the sunglasses. It includes the lenses, nose pads, and the temple.
Advantages Of Recycled Plastic Sunglasses
PMMA or acrylic offers various advantages. It exhibits qualities that can make tough and effective sunglasses. Let us discuss the benefits of recycled plastic sunglasses.
Benefit #1 – Ideal For Most Outdoor Use
This material can have a refractive index of 1.49, but what does it mean? It means that sunglasses from Recycled Modified PMMA offer high light transmittance.
With this feature, recycled plastic sunglasses are ideal for most outdoor use. You can wear them when doing errands and even playing other outdoor sports.
Benefit #2 – Impressive Toughness
RA-30(Recycled Modified PMMA) is a tough and lightweight material. It has less density compared to a glass and even polycarbonate material. You can get a scratch-resistant pair of sunglasses as well.
So, if you’re in doubt about wearing a pair of eco-friendly sunglasses, think twice. It gives purpose while making you look good. It’s like you’re wearing a regular pair of sunglasses. No one would ever notice that it is from recycled materials.
Benefit #3 – It Doesn’t Moist
Recycled plastic sunglasses exhibit low moisture. It also has an excellent water-absorbing capacity. So, you can use it regardless of the weather outside.
It won’t get moist when the weather is cold or hot. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you will appreciate this performance.
Benefit #4 – Chemical Resistance
Recycled plastic sunglasses made from RA-30(Recycled Modified PMMA) material offer high resistance to chemicals. It can withstand detergents, cleaners, and dilute inorganic acids.
So, you don’t have to worry if you get clumsy with your laundry detergent. But proper cleaning is still essential for any recycled eyewear.
Are Recycled Plastic Sunglasses For You?
The best way to know if recycled plastic sunglasses are for you is to test them out. But no one can even notice the difference between recycled to new sunglasses. The first one is an excellent option because you’re choosing it for a cause. Going green can help our nature.
But it is better that you only buy from a reliable eyewear factory. So, you can get high-quality recycled sunglasses. There’s no harm trying recycled sunglasses. It gives you fashion and function while being proactive in solving environmental issues.
It’s essential, especially if you can give back to the environment. Nobody wants to contribute to the pollution problem by buying plastic sunglasses. Being part of the problem does not make anyone feel good.
The eyewear industry has come up with a solution to the problem. Eyewear manufacturers are now using polluting plastics to create something new. They turn trashes into valuable and protective recycled plastic sunglasses.
