Polycarbonate materials offer a balance of beneficial features this includes temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastics and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is definitely a long-lasting material. Even though it offers very high impact-resistance, it's got a lower scratch-resistance and so a hard coating typically is applied to polycarbonate eye protection lenses as well as polycarbonate exterior automotive equipment. The properties relating to polycarbonate tend to be similar those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), but 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 many kinds of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of about 150 °C (302 °F), so it softens slowly above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools will have to be held at warm to high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) for making strain- and stress-free products.
Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo massive changes in basic shape without breaking or cracking. Subsequently, it could be processed and formed at room temperature using sheet metal techniques, for instance forming bends with a brake. For even sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is usually necessary. This makes it attractive prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are needed, which should not be produced from sheet metal. Be aware that PMMA/Plexiglas, which is similar in appearance to polycarbonate, but is brittle and can't be bent unless it is heated.
The light weight of polycarbonate, compared to glass, has led to growth and development of electronic touch screens that replace glass with polycarbonate, for use in mobile and portable devices. Such displays include newer e-ink and a few 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 kinds of 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 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 maybe needed. This either can be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or a coextrusion for enhanced weathering resistance.
The Makrolon Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that starts as a solid plastic material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, the pellets are heated until they begin to melt. The liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly injected into a mold with the empty part being the size and shape of the part you want, compressed under high pressure and cooled to produce a finished product in less than a minute.
Covestro Makrolon Polycarbonate Sheets offer high impact strength
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