Polycarbonate products have a great blend of useful features which include temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates in between commodity plastic materials and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is definitely a durable material. Even though it features very high impact-resistance, it has got reduced scratch-resistance and so a hard coating is applied to polycarbonate eyewear and polycarbonate exterior auto components. The characteristics of polycarbonate are generally along the lines of those of Acrylic PMMA materials, but polycarbonate is definitely 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), therefore it softens gradually above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools should be held at high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) for making strain- and almost stress free products.
Unlike many thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo dramatic changes in basic shape without cracking. As a result, for small changes in shape, it can be processed and formed cold using standard sheet metal techniques, for example forming bends on a brake. Even for sharp angle bends with a tight radius, no heating is usually necessary. This makes it useful for prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are essential, which should not be produced from sheet metal. Keep in mind that PMMA/Plexiglas, that is certainly similar in appearance to polycarbonate, but it's brittle and can't be bent without heating.
The light weight of polycarbonate, as opposed to glass, has led to continuing development of electronic view 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 which still do require glass for its higher melting temperature and its ability to be etched in finer detail.
Other kinds of items produced 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 items are made 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 is 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 begins as a solid plastic material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, the pelletized resin is heated until they melt and become a very thick liquid. The liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly injected into the mold - shaped like the part, compressed under high pressure and cooled to create a finished product in less than a minute.
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