Bayer Makrolon Polycarbonate Flat Sheet offer high impact strength
Makrolon Polycarbonate products offer a great blend of helpful features which include temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates in between commodity plastic materials and engineering plastic materials.
Polycarbonate is definitely a sturdy material. Although it features higher impact-resistance, it possesses minimal scratch-resistance and thus a hard coating typically is applied to polycarbonate eye wear lenses as well as polycarbonate exterior motor vehicle equipment. The characteristics of polycarbonate are generally like those of common Acrylic materials, although 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 has better light transmission characteristics than several types of glass.
Polycarbonate carries a glass transition temperature of about 150 °C (302 °F), so it softens gradually above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools must be held at high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) to help with making strain- and almost stress free products.
Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo massive changes in basic shape without breaking or cracking. For that reason, it could be processed and formed cold using standard sheet metal techniques, such as forming bends with a brake. Even for 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 required, which can not be made from sheet metal. Be aware that PMMA/Plexiglas, that is certainly similar in looks to polycarbonate, but is brittle and cannot be bent with out a heating process.
The light weight of polycarbonate, in contrast to glass, has led to advancement of electronic touch screens that replace the traditional 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 require glass for its higher melting temperature and the ability to be etched with 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 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 subjected 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.
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, these small pellets are heated until they melt in to a 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 , all in just a minute or so.
