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The difference between acetate and plastic eyewear？
21-07-16 19:18:46 By Bestsea eyewear
Yesterday, a friend asked me if his eyewear is acetate sunglasses or plastic sunglasses? If you look at it at first glance, I would think it is a pair of acetate sunglasses, black and shiny. It is really not easy to tell which type it is, but after I took a closer look, it was a pair of plastic sunglasses. What’s the difference between acetate and plastic eyewear frames? Many people will say that acetate glasses are more expensive and the process is more complicated, while plastic glasses are cheaper. Yes, in general, acetate frame are more expensive than plastic eyewear, but this is not absolutely relative. In this article, let's understand the difference between acetate eyewear and plastic eyewear.
Acetate frame are very popular in recent years. Cellulose acetate is a plant-based plastic that is hypoallergenic. This material was first used for eyewear in the late 1940’s because of brittleness and other problems with previously used plastics. Today’s acetates are known for being strong, rich colour and easy to process. More complex acetate frame are able to be produced by layering several colors or transparencies in layers and sandwiching them together.
Difference between acetate and plastic eyewear 1：Weight. Due to the high material density, the acetate frame is heavier in the hand, solid, and feels better. The plastic eyewear is much lighter than the plate frame due to its low material density. At the same time, there are copper needles in the temples of the acetate eyeglasses, but most plastic frames do not have them. The copper needles will make the temples of the acetate eyeglasses stronger and heavier.
Difference between acetate and plastic eyewear 2：it is resistant to high temperature. The acetate eyeglasses is more resistant to high temperature than plastic, and the plastic becomes soft when exposed to high temperature. This is also one of the easiest ways to distinguish these two kinds of eyewear.
Difference between acetate and plastic eyewear 3：The processing technology is different. Acetate is made by processing the raw materials into a plate shape and then cutting, polishing and assembly. Due to the complex production process of the acetate eyewear and the high production cost, the price will be much higher than that of the plastic frame. Therefore, the acetate frame has no injection points on the edge of the frame, and there are obvious texture marks that have been cut.
Plastic glasses are first made into a mold, and then injected with liquid plastic, and then colored after cooling. The density of plastic frames is low, so they are easy to break. Since the production process of the plastic frames is simple, the production cost is low, and it can be mass-produced. Plastic frames generally have injection points, which leave a small scar on the edge of the frame, and the plastic frame is much lighter than the acetate eyeglasses.
Difference between acetate and plastic eyewear 4：Acetate frame are more colorful. With the continuous improvement of the acetate manufacture technology, the color of the acetate is more and more, and it is very real and natural. The plastic eyewear are generally colored by adding toner to the plastic particles, or after finishing the finished product, through spray painting and other color processes, the color is not as rich and natural as the plate.
Difference between acetate and plastic eyewear 5：Consistency. If you have many eyewear of the same style, you will find that every pair of plastic eyewear is exactly the same, while each pair of acetate eyeglasses may have subtle differences. This is because of the many production processes of acetate eyeglasses. All have to be done manually, and everyone's operations may be different, so the products that come out will be a little different.
I have worked in the eyewear manufacturer in china for many years with a good understanding of the production process of these two kinds of eyewear. So, at the end, I will share my own experience, how do I usually distinguish these two kinds of eyewear. One is to look at the weight, the ones that feel very light in your hand, and the ones that don’t feel heavy are usually plastic eyewear. The second is to see if there are copper needles. The shooting copper on the temple are usually acetate frame. Then look at the color, the color is brighter, more natural and flat, generally acetate eyewear.
