Frame Materials

What are you looking for in eyeglass frames? A wide range of available colours? Durability? Lightness on your face? Hypoallergenic materials? A good price? Uniqueness?

Finding eyeglasses with the qualities that are most important to you is one consideration that the staff at Maycock Optical uses in choosing a frame material and helping you find the perfect pair of glasses. Not only are there many different shapes and colours in eyeglass frames, but advances in technology have also brought us a variety of new materials. Eyewear frames are made of many different composite materials and formulas, but the basic groupings are metal and plastic.

Plastic Frames

Commonly called "zyl", cellulose acetate is made of wood flakes, cottonseed fibres, stabilizers and plasticizers. Zyl is the most common plastic frame material because it can assume a large array of colours, textures and patterns.

Zyl is a very cost-effective and creative option for eyewear and is extremely lightweight. Particularly popular right now are laminated zyl frames that have layered colours. If you want the colours of the rainbow, then plastic or zyl is your material.

Temples and frame fronts can be cut from blocks of zyl extruded as a sheet of block acetate or granular zyl can be liquefied and then injection moulded. Block-cut zyl is stronger and more stable, while injection moulded zyl is less stable and less expensive.

Plastic frames do have some drawbacks. They are easier to break than metal frames. Aging and exposure to sunlight slightly decrease their strength but does not affect colour. With extended exposure to very warm temperatures, zyl can shift and lose its form.

Sometimes metal cores are added in the temples in order to strengthen and stabilize the frame. If zyl eyeglass frames are exposed to the years of body oils, perspiration, ultraviolet radiation and cosmetics, the material can become damaged, turning areas of the frame a milky white colour.

Nylon is another plastic used in today's eyewear, offering lightweight and flexible properties. Nylon is virtually unbreakable, so it is often chosen for sports and safety applications.

Metal Frames

Among the metal materials used in eyewear, Monel is the most common, followed by stainless steel, titanium, nickel silver, and aluminium. Monel is composed of two-thirds nickel and one-third copper.

This highly ductile alloy can be hammered into a variety of different shapes without losing strength. It resists stress well is often use to stabilize frame bridges and endpieces. Monel colours well, is corrosion resistant, and durable.

Titanium is a more expensive metal composite used in eyewear known for its beneficial qualities of strength, lightness, and flexibility. Titanium is also a hypo-allergenic material that will not cause an allergic reaction in wearers with sensitivity to certain metals like nickel, stainless steel, and plastics. Frame manufacturers are coming out with more and more titanium styles.

The frames can be produced in a variety of colors for a clean, modern look with a hint of color. Not all frames are 100 percent titanium. Some frames are made from an alloy that is a combination of titanium and other metals, such as nickel or copper.

Stainless Steel frames are another alternative to titanium. Stainless steel is comprised mostly of iron, with a mixture of nickel, manganese, and chromium. Qualities of stainless steel frames include light weight, low toxicity and strength; many stainless steel frames are also nickel-free and thus hypoallergenic. Stainless steel is readily available and reasonably priced. Stainless steel is highly lustrous, and makes a good thin and sturdy frame with strong corrosion resistance.

Aluminium is used primarily by high-end eyewear designers because of the unique look it creates. Aluminium is cut from a block, is lightweight and low in density. This makes the material strong, and yet light enough to use for thick fashion designs.

Aluminium can accept a variety of colors, and chemical anodizing is sometimes used to create black, brown and gold colors. Frames made from aluminium are highly corrosion-resistant.

Please click on the links below for more information on choosing your perfect eyewear at Maycock Eyecare.

FRAME SHAPES - FRAME MATERIALS - WHAT'S NEW?

LENS TYPES - LENS MATERIALS - LENS COATINGS

Please click on some of out most popular frame lines below to be linked to the respective company's website. Their online catalogues will provide you with extensive frame collections, displaying numerous shapes, sizes and colours. Please call us regarding availability and pricing if you find a frame that you are interested in.

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