The advantages of using Plastic Lenses compare to traditional glass lenses include lower cost (if produced at high volume), less design constraints and ease for manufacturing. Some disadvantages are limited usage at high temperatures, higher birefringence potential, limited refractive index range and looser tolerances. Below is a table of selected Plastic Lens materials and their properties, from the May 2000 issue of Photonics Spectra*.

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PROPERTIES UNITS Acrylic, Polymethyl Methacrylate Polystyrene Styrene Methyl-methacrylate Copolymer Styrene Acrylonitrile PolyCarbonate Cyclic Olefin Copolymer
Refractive Index (Nd) - 1.491 1.59 1.56 1.57 1.584 1.525
Abbe Value (Vd) - 61.4 31.1 35 37.8 34.5 56
dn/dt x 10E-5/ °C -12.5 -12 -14 -14 -14.3 -10
Luminous Transmittance %Transmittance @ 3mm 92 88 90 88 90 92
Birefringence Potential Qualitative Low High High High High Low
Relative Haze % 2 3 3 3 3 2
Coefficient of Linear Expansion cm/cm x 10E-5/°C 6 6 6.8 6.8 6.9 6
Deflection of Temperature (3.6 °F/min @ 66 psi) °C 101 110 100 100 146 147
Water Absorption (immersed 24 hr. @ 23 °C) % 0.3 0.2 0.15 0.3 0.15 0.01
Hardness (Scratch Resistance) Rockwell M 90 90 80 75 50 75
Izod Impact Resistance ASTM D256 0.35 0.35 0.5 0.45 2 0.32

Values stated are typical. Contact the manufacturer for actual values for a specific material. * Bulter, David J. (2000) "Plastic optics challenge glass," Photonics Spectra May, 2000, p.168-174.

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