What are polymer lenses for glasses?

Glasses are an important part in correcting a person’s vision. Therefore, the choice of optics should be approached responsibly. First of all, you need to visit an ophthalmologist who will conduct a comprehensive examination and prescribe glasses. After that, you can order glasses. In this case, the material from which the lenses will be made should be taken into account. Indeed, now, in addition to glass, organic polymers are used for manufacturing.

Definition of polymer lenses

Polymeric spectacle lenses are lenses for the manufacture of which transparent organic plastics are used.

The most commonly used polymer is CR-39 . However, most manufacturers give polymers their own names.

Every year the popularity of such products is growing and polymer glasses are gradually replacing mineral lens optics from the market.

Modern technology for the eyes - polymer lenses

In the manufacture of organic lenses, in addition to plastic, special additives are used . Depending on the manufacturing method and structure, they are divided into two types: thermoplastics, thermosets. Thermoplastics are made by injection molding. The most common material is polycarbonate . Its popularity is due to the fact that polycarbonate is characterized by high rates of resistance to mechanical damage.

The most popular CR-39 refers to thermosets. According to its characteristics, the material is practically no different from glass . When other monomeric substances CR-39 are added, additional properties can be imparted, for example. increase the amount of refraction.

The most modern polymeric materials are tribride and triyvex . They combine all the advantages of CR-39 and polycarbonate - they have an excellent refractive index and are resistant to shock.

The benefits of polymer lenses

Some believe that polymer optics are inferior to mineral optics in terms of characteristics, for example, they do not have the same transparency. But modern polymers are not inferior to glass with their optical performance .

In addition, plastic products have several advantages :

  • Light weight. Thanks to this, polymer glasses can be worn for a long time without experiencing discomfort.
  • Plastic does not transmit ultraviolet radiation.
  • Shock resistance and safety . Plastic is able to withstand shock loads. This is because plastic is a viscous material. When hit, it will not split into several fragments, which avoids possible eye injury.
  • They have a high refractive index. This solved the problem of thick products. Organic glasses are thin, light and elegant.
  • Plastic can be painted in any color. This allows you to make optics with any design.

Important! In many countries, almost all optics are made with organic lenses. This is due to the safety of this material. Glasses are used only by people for whom they are recommended for medical reasons.

Minuses

There are practically no shortcomings in modern material; polymer optics have low abrasion resistance. If the glasses are not worn properly, they will quickly become scratched.

Types of Organic Materials for Spectacle Lenses

Due to the fact that the pace of human life is becoming faster, glasses must comply with all the requirements. This led to the fact that for their manufacture began to use a large number of different materials.

For the manufacture of organic lenses are used:

  • Polycarbonate - the material has a small weight, so it is often used for rimless glasses . It has good characteristics of optical refraction and resistance to mechanical damage. The polycarbonate structure allows the manufacture of very thin lenses.
  • CR-39 is the most common material. Suitable for making glasses with small diopters . If the diopter value is above + or - 2, then the product will be quite thick.
  • Trivex is a modern type of polymer, with high optical refractive indices. In terms of impact resistance, it is not inferior to polycarbonate. At the same time, it is lighter and has higher optical characteristics. It also has excellent resistance to chemicals. Triveks is great for making rimless optics.

  • MR-10 is a modern superior polymer with the highest refractive index. The material has excellent indicators of viscosity, elasticity. Therefore, the lenses made from it are flexible and shockproof. Its impact resistance can be compared with polycarbonate . But at the same time it is much lighter and thinner. This explains the popularity of the polymer among leading manufacturers. It is used for the production of both standard and office, and progressive glasses.

Glass lenses

Made from glass of inorganic origin. Get it from quartz sand . The material allows you to add various substances to it to improve the amount of refraction. Using sealing substances, you can get a product with a refractive index of 1.9 . However, such optics will have a rather large weight.

Advantages

The pluses include:

  • High abrasion resistance. This increases the life of the product.
  • You can make a thin lick with a refractive index of 1.9. With a large diopter, glass lenses will be thinner than those made from polymers.

disadvantages

  • Low impact resistance. With rough mechanical action, glass glasses are broken into a large number of fragments. This makes them unsafe.
  • The weight. Inorganic glasses weigh significantly more than the plastic version.
  • Such products cannot be used to make rimless models.

When choosing the most suitable material for the manufacture of glasses, it is worth evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of both glass and plastic. But modern polymer manufacturing technologies make this material more preferable.

Organic optics is not inferior in magnitude to mineral refraction. At the same time, it has excellent impact resistance, polymer models can replace 3 pairs of glasses. Therefore, such glasses are an ideal choice for children, athletes, motorists and office workers. And the ability to color the polymer in any color, allows you to get not only high-quality, but also the original product.