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.