Lexan Polycarbonate Sheeting are considered unbreakable
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- March 1, 2023
Makrolon Polycarbonate materials offer a unique balance of beneficial features including temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastic materials and engineering plastic materials.
Polycarbonate is a very sturdy material. Whilst it features outstanding impact-resistance, it has got a lower scratch-resistance and so a hard coating can be applied to polycarbonate eyeglasses and polycarbonate exterior auto components. The properties of polycarbonate are similar those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), and yet polycarbonate is always 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 has better light transmission characteristics than many kinds of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature near 150 °C (302 °F), as a result it softens slowly above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools should be held at higher temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) for making strain- and almost stress free products.
Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo dramatic changes in basic shape without breaking. Subsequently, it can be processed and formed at room temperature using sheet metal techniques, which include forming bends with a brake. Even for sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. This makes it useful for prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are important, which can’t be made from sheet metal. Be aware that PMMA/Plexiglas, which is similar in looks to polycarbonate, but it is brittle and cannot be bent unless it is heated.
The light weight of polycarbonate, as opposed to glass, has led to development of electronic display screens that replace glass materials with polycarbonate, for use in mobile and portable devices. Such displays include newer e-ink and many LCD screens, though CRT, plasma screen and other LCD technologies still generally require glass for its higher melting temperature and the ability to be etched with finer detail.
Other miscellaneous items manufactured from Polycarbonate include durable, lightweight luggage, MP3/digital audio player cases, computer cases, high impact riot shields, instrument panels, and blender jars. Many toys and hobby goods are made out of 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 maybe needed. This may be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or 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, these small pellets are heated until they melt. This liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly injected into the mold – shaped like the part, compressed under high pressure and cooled to form a finished product in less than a minute.