Makrolon Polycarbonate materials offer a great blend of beneficial features which include temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates in between commodity plastics and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is definitely a rugged material. Whilst it has exceptional impact-resistance, it has reduced scratch-resistance and thus a hard coating is applied to polycarbonate eye protection lenses as well as polycarbonate exterior automotive components. The properties associated with polycarbonate tend to be similar to that of those of common Acrylic materials, but polycarbonate definitely is 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 several types of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of approximately 150 °C (302 °F), consequently it softens slowly above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools should be held at warm to high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) to help with making strain- and reduced stress products.
Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo dramatic deformations without breaking. Due to this fact, it is sometimes processed and formed cold using sheet metal techniques, for example forming bends on a brake. Even for sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. This makes it attractive prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are important, which should not be crafted from sheet metal. Keep in mind that PMMA/Plexiglas, which happens to be 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 growth and 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 which still require glass for its higher melting temperature and the ability to be etched in finer detail.
Other miscellaneous items produced from Polycarbonate include durable, lightweight luggage, MP3/digital audio player cases, computer cases, police riot shields, instrument panels, and blender jars. Many toys and hobby items are produced 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 maybe needed. This either 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 pushed into molds, compressed under high pressure and cooled to form a finished product in less than a minute.