Sheffield Plastics Polycarbonate Sheeting are considered unbreakable
Polycarbonate plastic products have a unique balance of beneficial features this includes temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastic materials and engineering plastic materials.
Polycarbonate is definitely a sturdy material. Although it features outstanding impact-resistance, it has reduced scratch-resistance and thus a hard coating could be applied to polycarbonate eye wear and polycarbonate exterior auto components. The properties relating to polycarbonate are generally along the lines of those of common Acrylic materials, and yet polycarbonate 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 most grades of glass.
Polycarbonate has 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 will have to be held at high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) for making strain- and reduced stress products.
Unlike almost all other thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo dramatic deformations without cracking. For that reason, it could be processed and formed at room temperature using standard sheet metal techniques, for example forming bends on a brake. Even for sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is usually necessary. This makes it valuable in prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are crucial, which can not be crafted from sheet metal. Keep in mind that PMMA/Plexiglas, which is similar in looks to polycarbonate, but it’s brittle and cannot be bent unless it is heated.
The light weight of polycarbonate, as opposed to glass, has led to development of electronic display 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 require glass for its higher melting temperature and its ability to be etched in finer detail.
Other types of items fabricated from Polycarbonate include durable, lightweight luggage, MP3/digital audio player cases, computer cases, police riot shields, instrument panels, and common style 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 could be needed. This can 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, the pelletized resin is heated until they melt in to a thick liquid. 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 create a finished product , that only takes about a minute to complete.
