In Depth
Butacite® was part of a new wave of petrochemical-based plastics that proved far more durable and versatile than their nitrocellulose-based predecessors. The advantages of these plastics were first revealed in 1931 when DuPont’s Ammonia Department discovered Lucite® methyl methacrylate. By the late 1930s, DuPont, through a series of joint research agreements with Union Carbide and the Shawinigan Corporation, had developed the polyvinyl butyral plastic Butacite®. The new plastic was an immediate success as a replacement for pyralin in automotive safety glass.
The strength and shatterproof qualities of Butacite® made it ideal for non-architectural uses as well. An early application was mirrors in high-risk areas, such as athletic locker rooms and naval vessels. Architects and designers also found multiple applications for Butacite® in safety windows, glass doors, bathtub enclosures, shop windows, skylights and tabletops. Butacite® retains popularity in its own right as safety glass and as construction material. But as a key interlayer in related DuPont products like SentryGlas® , SentryGlas® Plus and Spallshield®, Butacite® offers new levels of safety and innovative design. In the 1990s SentryGlas® was certified as the first hurricane-resistant architectural glass, making it highly desirable in hurricane-prone areas. Similarly, Spallshield® has also met increased security needs for shatterproof and penetration-resistant windows and glass barriers.
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