Common Polymers
for Optical Components
Polymer Optics Guide: Materials for Lenses & Optical Components
This resource provides an overview of the most widely used polymers for optical components, highlighting their unique properties, advantages, and limitations. It helps engineers and designers compare materials like PMMA, polycarbonate, COC, and others for applications in imaging, illumination, and precision optical systems. Whether you’re selecting materials for lenses, light guides, or specialty optics, this guide offers a practical reference for making informed decisions.
| Polymer Type | Acrylic (PMMA) | Polycarbonate (PC) | Polystyrene (PS) | Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) | Cyclic Olefin Polymer (COP) | PolyEtherImide (PEI) | Thermoplastic Polyimide | OKP Polyester Resin | High Performance Polycarbonate Resin | Special Acrylic Resin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Trade Names | LUCITE, PLEXIGLAS | LEXAN, MERLON, Makrolon | STYRON, LUSTREX , Rexolite | TOPAS APEL | ZEONEX, ZEONOR | ULTEM | EXTEM | OKP4 | OKP4HT | Iupizeta EP | OPTIMAS |
| Refractive Index: nD (589.3nm) | 1.49 | 1.59 | 1.59 | 1.53 | 1.53 | 1.68 | 1.62 | 1.607 | 1.632 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Rate of Index change w/Temp dnabs/dT X 10-5 /°C | -8.5 | -11.8 to -14.3 | -14 | -10.1 | -8 | - | -9.1 | -13 | -11 | - | -9.6 |
| Abbe Value (Vd) | 55 to 57 | 30 | 31 | 56 | 56 | 19 | 19 | 27 | 23 | 27 | 58 |
| Transmission % at 550nm through 1.5mm thick sample | 92.1% | 89.9% | 88.8% | 90.7% | 91.0% | n/a | n/a | 88.2% | 86.2% | n/a | 92.1% |
| Birefringence | Ultra-Low | High | Medium | Low | Low | High | High | Low | Low | Ultra-Low | Ultra-Low |
| Haze (%) | 0.5 to 2 | 1 to 2 | 2 to 3 | 1 to 2 | 1 to 2 | 2 | 2% | 1 | 1 | <1 | 0.2 |
| CTE: Coeff. of Linear Exp. X 10-5 cm/cm/°C @ 70°C | 6.74 | 6.6 to 7.0 | 6.0 to 8.0 | 6.0 to 7.0 | 6.0 to 7.0 | 4.7 to 5.6 | 5 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.1 | |
| Specific Gravity [water @ 72.5°F] | 1.16 to 1.19 | 1.20 to 1.25 | 1.05 to 1.06 | 1.02 to 1.03 | 0.95 to 1.01 | 1.27 | 1.31 | 1.22 | 1.26 | 1.22 | 1.08 to 1.11 |
| Hardness | Rockwell M97 | Rockwell M70 | Rockwell M90 | Rockwell M89 | Rockwell M89 | Rockwell M109 | - | - | - | - | Rockwell 99 |
| Max Operating Temp (oC) | 90 | 120 | 100 | 160 | 115 | 200 | 220 | 100 | 125 | 100 | 100 |
| Relative Cost | Low | Low | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium | High | High | High | High | High |
| Diamond Turnable | Yes | No (Polystryene used as a Substitute) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Difficult | Difficult | Difficult | Yes |
| Color | Clear | Clear | Clear | Clear | Clear | Yellow | Yellow | Clear | Clear | Yellow | Clear |
Learn How to Choose the Right Polymer for Optical Components
