Polycarbonate plastic materials give you a unique balance of helpful features including temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates in between commodity plastics and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is definitely a sturdy material. Though it has high impact-resistance, it has got lower scratch-resistance and thus a hard coating is applied to polycarbonate eyewear as well as polycarbonate exterior vehicle components. The properties relating to polycarbonate are similar to that of those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), although polycarbonate is undoubtedly stronger, it is usable in a wider temperature range and is a bit more expensive. This plastic polymer is highly transparent to visible light and it has better light transmission characteristics than most grades of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of around 150 °C (302 °F), as a result it softens slowly above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools ought to be held at higher temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) in order to make strain- and stress-free products.
Unlike many thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo massive changes in basic shape without breaking. Because of this, it may be processed and formed without needing to be heated using standard sheet metal techniques, such as forming bends with a brake. For even sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. This makes it valuable in prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are required, which can't be made from sheet metal. Remember that PMMA/Plexiglas, which is similar in looks to polycarbonate, but is brittle and can't be bent with out a heating process.
The light weight of polycarbonate, compared with glass, has led to continuing development of electronic view screens that replace the traditional glass with polycarbonate, for use in mobile and portable devices. Such displays include newer e-ink as well as LCD screens, though CRT, plasma screen and other LCD technologies still generally require glass for its higher melting temperature and its ability to be etched with finer detail.
Other kinds of items created from Polycarbonate include durable, lightweight luggage, MP3/digital audio player cases, computer cases, riot shields, instrument panels, and blender jars. Many toys and hobby products are constructed from polycarbonate parts, e.g. fins, gyro mounts, and flybar locks for use with radio-controlled helicopters.
For use in applications exposed to weathering or UV-radiation, a special surface treatment could be needed. This can be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or as a coextrusion for enhanced weathering resistance.
Bayer Makrolon Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that at the beginning, starts as a solid material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, the pellets are heated until they melt and become a very thick liquid. This liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly injected into a mold, compressed under high pressure and cooled to create a finished product in a matter of minutes.
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