The first acrylic acid was created in 1843. In 1865 Methacrylic acid, derived from acrylic acid, was formulated and in 1877 the German chemist Wilhelm Rudolph Fittig, discovered the polymerization process that turned methyl methacrylate into polymethyl methacrylate. In 1933, the brand name ‘Plexiglas’ was patented and registered by another German chemist, Otto Röhm.

In 1936 Imperial Chemical Industries, the famous old ICI, (now Lucite) started production of acrylic safety glass. During the Second World War, PMMA was often used instead of glass in gun turrets and windshields for aircraft, proving a much safer material in battle situations for our airmen.