Acrylic plastics, such as Lucite and Plexiglas, are made from methyl and ethyl acrylate and methacrylate. Poly (methyl methacrylate) is the most common and best representative of this group of plastics. These substances are respiratory and cutaneous irritants, the acrylates more so than the methacrylates. Studies have shown sensitization reactions to a number of different components of photopolymerizing plates in the printing industry. Contact dermatitis from dermal exposure to uncured plates is not uncommon (Pedersen et al., 1983).
Acrylics are produced by the polymerization of acrylonitrile.
They have a chemical structure essentially comprising the repeating unit,
[—CH2—CH(CN)—]n, with up to 15 percent of the polymer comprising one
or two other monomeric units. As comonomers, vinyl acetate and an acrylate
or methacrylate ester is used to vary the properties of the polymer for
both ease of processing into a fiber and for improved fiber properties.
Acrylic fibers are hydrophobic with excellent chemical stability. As there
are no functional groups present in the acrylics, the fiber producers found ways to modify the basic polymer by incorporating acidic groups in the
polymer. The acidic group frequently used is the sulfonic acid or its
salts that is carried into the polymer chain as a substituent of vinyl
benzene, alkoxy benzene, or diamino stilbene monomer. Although the
monomer is in the gel state, it can be treated with sulfonic acid derivatives
and upon drying and scouring it will retain sufficient acid groups
for dyeing with basic dyes.
