“Acrylics” is a very general term used to describe a wide variety of consumer products, fabrics, paints, plastics and in some cases, the basic building block chemicals used to produce the polymers that make up these products. The use of the term “acrylics” is so broad that the attributes or properties of one group of “acrylics” may not be relevant to another group which may also be characterized loosely as “acrylics”. Methacrylates (also known as methacrylic monomers) are only some of the basic building block chemicals that are used to create the polymers or plastics that we find in the "acrylic" consumer products you may know.

Acrylics: come in many forms depending on their intended uses. Methacrylic acid and the lower alkyl methacrylate monomers described on the MPA website are industrial chemicals used to make larger molecules. Depending on the degree of processing, these can range from oligomers, which are small to medium sized molecules, to very large polymers. The structure and size of the chemicals determine their physical properties (such as the final material’s hardness or scratch resistance) and their chemical reactivity. Some polymers are made from a single monomer type are called homopolymers, e.g. polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA, while others, referred to as copolymers, are made from a combination of methacrylate and other monomer starting including methacrylate monomers and other types of monomers, e.g., acrylic monomers.

A monomer is a chemical molecule that combines with other monomer molecules to form a long chain or network. Monomers are like links in a chain. The chain of molecules is called a polymer. Oligomers are similar to polymers, but are short chains made up of only a few monomers. The physical, chemical and toxicological properties of polymers and oligomers vary depending on the length of the chain and which monomers are used. In general, the properties of polymers are very different from the properties of the monomers used to produce them. For example, acrylic yarns are solid polymers, typically produced by polymerizing liquid monomers.

Methacrylates are a family of monomers that serve as use as building blocks to make a wide range of polymer-based products that we see and use every day from acrylic glass, car paints, toners and inks, oil additives to dental and medical products—to name but a few.

MPA’s mission and website address only a handful of specific methacrylates or methacrylic monomers of interest to the member companies. Those are methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters: methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, iso-butyl methacrylate and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate.

Methacrylates (and specifically methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters) have been used for more than 50 years as essential building blocks in the production of polymers that are found in many commonly used industrial and consumer products. The principal use for methyl methacrylate monomer is to form polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) homopolymer for the production of cast and extruded acrylic sheets. Methacrylate-based polymers are also commonly used in paints, coatings, textiles, adhesives, plastics, hygienic products, detergents, and in water purification and waste water treatment processes. Methyl Methacrylate monomer is also used in medical applications as bone cement for hip replacements and in dentistry for prosthetic dental applications, including the fabrication of artificial teeth, denture bases, dentures, obturators, orthodontic retainers, temporary or provisional crowns, and for the repair of dental prostheses.

Methacrylates are also widely used as building blocks in more complex industrial products because of their chemical structure and useful chemical properties. In the products these monomers are used to produce, they impart properties such as adhesion, flexibility, hardness control, abrasion protection, water resistance, increased durability, weathering and sunlight resistance, and resistance to oils and greases.

Methacrylic acid and its alkyl esters are occurring in nature, albeit not very frequently or in large amounts. For example, traces of methacrylic acid and isobutyl methacrylate occur in the essential oil from Roman chamomile. MAA has also been found in the defensive secretions of two types of beetle. Examples of methacrylate esters in fruit are methyl and ethyl methacrylate in mangos and isobutyl methacrylate in fresh bael (Aegle marmelos), a fruit commonly grown in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The potential for consumer exposure to Methacrylate monomers (methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters) is low, because monomers are usually polymerized before being used in consumer products. There are some consumer products, such as so-called acrylic cements or acrylic nail kits that contain liquid monomer; exposure to liquid monomer or vapor during handling and use of these products is likely, and MPA recommends following the precautions indicated on these products to minimize exposure. For more information, see MPA’s Global Product Summaries page.

There is potential for worker exposure to methacrylate monomers during manufacturing, transportation, and formulation. Generally, engineering controls and personal protective equipment are used in these settings to minimize significant exposures. For more information, see MPA’s Global Product Summaries page. 

Liquid methacrylate monomers are not normally found in household products, but methacrylate polymers are. The methacrylates (methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters) described here are mainly used by industry as the starting materials, or building blocks, that are chemically converted to synthetic acrylic polymers (i.e., plastics) that are used in many common household materials. Liquid monomer methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters are not typically present in the finished consumer product except at trace or residual levels.

Examples of consumer products that are made using methacrylate building blocks include fibers, fabrics for clothing or household items like furniture or draperies, and plastics of various types. Methacrylates are also used to make coatings that are applied as a finish for leather goods or paper products. They are also used to make paints and adhesives for crafts, do-it-yourself home improvement projects, or industrial applications. There are also some methacrylate-based materials used to produce cosmetic or personal care products.

Some consumer products, such as acrylic cements or acrylic nail kits, can contain liquid methacrylic acid and/or its lower alkyl esters. MPA recommends following the precautions indicated on these products to minimize exposure. For more information, see MPA’s Global Product Summaries page.

Yes. Some of the methacrylates described on MPA’s website (methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters) can be used in monomer form in some "acrylic" nail products. However, the MPA member companies advise against this use because of the risk of contact sensitization associated with use of methacrylate monomers in that particular application. For more information, see MPA’s position statement.

Methyl methacrylate has historically been used in acrylic nails, but has been extensively replaced with ethyl methacrylate. Other methacrylate and acrylate monomers that are outside the interest of MPA are used with other chemicals in some other artificial nail products like gel nails.

Methacrylate-based polymers may be also be used in cosmetics and personal care products, but methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters are not typically present in these finished consumer product except in trace or residual levels. Further information on the use of "acrylics" in artificial nails can be found on MPA’s position statement page.

No. The potential for the release of methacrylates by industry to the environment is very low. Even if released, methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters biodegrade rapidly in the environment. They are not expected to bind to soil or sediment and evaporate easily, making them unlikely to persist in the environment. If released to air, they will undergo degradation within days.

The methacrylate esters have a low to high toxicity in fish, algae and daphnia depending upon their solubility in fat and molecular size. Methacrylic acid, methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate being the least toxic and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate being the most. Methacrylate-based polymer products are non-toxic and extremely resistant to degradation in the environment.

Yes. Methacrylates are subject to a number of federal and international statutes and regulations. Some of these regulations are designed to protect the health of workers, consumers and the environment. Others define requirements for safe transport, shipping and disposal. Some regulations regulate certain uses and may set concentration limits for these uses.

The potential health effects of methacrylate monomers that most regulations are concerned about are their potential to cause irritation and skin allergy. Based on these potential effects, regulatory authorities have set occupational exposure limits which help protect workers by minimizing their exposure to methacrylate monomers. The potential for consumer exposure to acrylate monomers is generally very low.

Some methacrylate polymers, manufactured using the methacrylate monomers under MPA’s purview, are used in the food packaging industry. These polymers have been evaluated by the US FDA and have been approved for food contact. For more information, see MPA’s Food Contact Regulations Chart.

No. Methacrylates, including methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters have been tested in a range of studies for reproductive and developmental toxicity. Those studies have shown that methacrylates do not damage reproduction or harm the unborn child. For more information, see MPA’s Reproductive & Developmental Health Effects page.

No. The potential for methacrylates, including methacrylic acid and its lower alkyl esters, to cause cancer has been evaluated in laboratory studies as well as in epidemiological studies on workers. These studies indicate that there is no increased risk of developing cancer as a result of occupational exposure to methacrylates. For more information, see MPA’s Carcinogenicity Health Effects page.