Polycarbonate products have a unique balance of beneficial features which include high temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastics and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is a very long-lasting material. Although it features outstanding impact-resistance, it's got low scratch-resistance and so a hard coating can be applied to polycarbonate eye wear and polycarbonate exterior automobile equipment. The properties relating to polycarbonate are like those of common Acrylic materials, except 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 several types of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of around 150 °C (302 °F), consequently it softens gradually above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools will have to be held at higher temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) to help make strain- and stress-free products.
Unlike almost all other thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo massive deformations without cracking. Because of that, it is sometimes processed and formed at room temperature using sheet metal techniques, which include forming bends on a brake. For even sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is usually necessary. This makes it useful for prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are crucial, which should not be crafted from sheet metal. Remember that PMMA/Plexiglas, which is similar in looks to polycarbonate, but is brittle and can't be bent unless it is heated.
The light weight of polycarbonate, as opposed to glass, has led to continuing development of electronic display screens that replace glass 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 generally still require glass for its higher melting temperature and the ability to be etched with finer detail.
Other kinds of items made 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 made out of polycarbonate parts, e.g. fins, gyro mounts, and flybar locks for use with radio-controlled helicopters.
For use in applications subjected to weathering or UV-radiation, a special surface treatment is needed. This may be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or as a coextrusion for enhanced weathering resistance.
The Makrolon Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that at the beginning, starts as a solid plastic material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, this pellet material 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 a matter of minutes.
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