Searching for a strong inflexible plastic that is transparent

[Tone L]

Hi all,

I think this is the right place to post this?! Material sciences..

Nonetheless, I am searching for a strong inflexible plastic, that is transparent. The principle job of the plastic is to be a long piece with a sensor attaching at the end. The sensor will weigh about 2kg, putting a fair amount of torque on the material, I would like it not to bend.
Any recommendations? Price isn't a big deal.

 

[anorlunda]

Some dimensions and weights would be helpful.

Lexan? Polycarbonate? They come in many thicknesses.

 

[berkeman]

a long piece with a sensor attaching at the end. The sensor will weigh about 2kg, putting a fair amount of torque on the material, I would like it not to bend.

Do you understand why "I-Beam" shapes are used for beams? Do you understand why triangle shapes are used for bracing? Using just a long thin beam is not the best way to ensure good strength...

http://www.ema-models.co.uk/media/catalog/category/H.jpg

 

[Tone L]

Ah ! Obvious. Thanks :D

 

[CWatters]

Pick one you can easily glue?

 

[Baluncore]

Axial torque is best transferred by a tube.
Why “plastic”, have you considered using glass?

 

[Tone L]

Axial torque is best transferred by a tube.
Why “plastic”, have you considered using glass?

It will be deployed to make experiments, glass might be too fragile. A tube might be tricky to mount the instrument onto the end of.

 

[Nik_2213]

"glass might be too fragile"

Yes, your first 'Health and Safety' assessment would veto such.

One dodge I've seen had a plastic tube with a threaded rod passed through. This stiffened the plastic and allowed easy mounting at either end...

 

[Baluncore]

Yes, your first 'Health and Safety' assessment would veto such.

Why veto a material based on childhood fears of bare feet and a broken glass jar on the floor? Next thing, you will be prohibiting the use of glassware in the laboratory, glass windows in buildings, or in cars. There are some very strong and rigid glass materials now available. Some are similar to ceramics. The material used to make beverage bottles is not fragile but is a very tough and plastic form of glass, those bottles usually bounce when you drop them. On the other hand there are also many rigid organic polymers available that also break with a conchoidal fracture to make a serrated cutting edge. Will you also prohibit them from use?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempered_glass
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass-ceramic

 

[Nik_2213]

"Why veto..."

Lawyers ? Insurance ? Juries awarding zillions of dollars in damages ?

IIRC, window glass is generally 'annealed' for toughness, and car windows are either laminated for safety or pre-stressed to 'crumb' upon damage.

After thirty years in college, uni & analytical labs, I'm reasonably aware of the dangers of glass, both soda and boro-silicate 'Pyrex', as-is or 'tempered'...

I saw more people with bloody paper-cuts than even minor glass-related injuries but, beyond the jet-lagged 'zombies' shambling about after each 'Continental Shifts' rotation, we feared the 'Health and Safety' folk, who'd summarily impose new working practices following some tangentially-related mishap else-where.

Against that, a little prevention may keep Murphy's Law at bay. Sometimes 'lateral thinking', sometimes 'bumper mesh' etc...

Certainly, if you do a formal safety assessment, document the options, alternatives, risks, failure modes, mitigation etc, get it professionally reviewed and signed-off, that's 'Due Diligence'.
;-)