Polycarbonate is a crystal clear plastic with a very high impact resistance, high toughness and a relatively high mechanical load capacity. In addition, polycarbonate is self-extinguishing and the material has good chemical resistance.
The clear material can be processed easily and is virtually unbreakable, making it ideally suited for strong glazing applications.
Polycarbonate (PC) distinguishes itself from other plastics by its optical purity in combination with a very high impact resistance. Polycarbonate is no less than 250 times stronger than glass of the same thickness.
Sustainable alternative to Polycarbonate
Exolon® GP Eco - up to 40% recycled content and 100% recyclable
Unique features
- Virtually unbreakable
- 250 times stronger than glass of equal thickness
- Can be bent and set when cold
- Screen printable
- Weatherproof
- Vandal resistant
Applications
- Glazing
- Protective hoods and screens
- Stand construction
- Retail interiors and signage
- Eyewear lenses
- Exterior lighting
- Optical media disks (CD, DVD, Blu Ray)
Machining options
- Drilling
- Sawing/milling
- Hot bending
- Gluing
- Thermoforming
- Screen printing
- Digital printing
- Cutting/punching
- Lettering
- Press offset
- Lasering
- Yes
- Not in all cases
- No
The main technical properties of Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is by far the most impact-resistant clear plastic. The material is virtually unbreakable and, compared to glass of the same thickness, 250 times stronger.
Polycarbonate is available in standard and UV-stable versions. Furthermore, the material is flame-retardant and relatively light compared to glass. Polycarbonate can be cold set and bent.
How to identify Polycarbonate
Drop a small sample in some water and it will sink. Then set fire to the sample and it will continue to burn slowly and drip. The flame will be orange or yellow with a smell similar to Phenol, producing black smoke with soot.
Polycarbonate by sector
Polycarbonate Building Plastics
Unique combination of hardness, impact resistance, weather resistance and transparency make Polycarbonate particularly suitable for architectural glazing and security.
We supply polycarbonate in a number of different versions: from standard to super scratch-resistant, from structured to flame-resistant and from breakthrough-resistant to bullet-resistant versions.
Applications
- Safety glazing
- Burglar-resistant glazing
- Anti-vandalism glazing
- Skylight glazing, canopies
- Bus shelters, outdoor waiting areas
- Project glazing
Example
Polycarbonate Engineering Plastics
Polycarbonate is a fire-resistant and chemically resistant crystal clear plastic with a very high impact resistance, high toughness and a relatively high mechanical load capacity.
The clear material can be easily machined and is virtually unbreakable, making it ideally suited for transparent machine guards and guards.
Polycarbonate sheets can be cold set and are available in many versions including extra UV resistant, anti-static and scratch-resistant.
Applications
- Customised machine hoods
- Places that benefit from visual control
- Vandal-prone places
Example
Polycarbonate Advertising Plastics
Virtually unbreakable polycarbonate sheets offer a solution for the illuminated advertising sector and in places where vandalism is a problem, for example as overglazing. Polycarbonate is also widely used in the stand construction and interior segment, where high demands are made on fire behaviour.
Applications
- Unbreakable overglazing
- Stand construction
- Shop interiors
- Neon signs
Example
What is the difference between Polycarbonate and Acrylic or PETG?
We often get questions about the differences between the three most commonly used transparent plastics, Polycarbonate, PETG and Acrylic. To make the most important differences clear, we have made the table below. If you would like definitive advice on which material is suitable for your application, please contact us.
| Feature | Acrylic | PETG | Polycarbonate |
| Transparency/clarity | Excellent | High | High |
| Weight | Low | Low | Low |
| Strength | 30x stronger than glass | 150x stronger than glass | 250x stronger than glass |
| Weather resistance | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Cold bending | Low | Average | Good |
| Warm bending | Good | Good | Good |
| Drilling, sawing, milling | Good | Good | Good |
| Printable | Good | Good | Good |
| Available thicknesses | 2 to 100mm | 0.5 to 12mm | 1 to 12mm |
| Fire class* | B2 | B1 | B1 |
*tested according to DIN 4102
If fire safety plays a role, we advise you to use a fire-retardant material. Both Polyester and Polycarbonate are fire retardant and have fire class B1. The German DIN 4102 has been drawn up by the Deutsches Institut für Normung. This institute deals with the most diverse standard topics. This classification is seen as the European standard when it comes to fire safety of products.
The following are the categories listed in order of degree of flammability:
Fire standard DIN 4102
| Class | Degree of flammability |
| A1 | 100% non-combustible |
| A2 | 98% non-combusible |
| B1 | Flame-resistant |
| B2 | Flammable |
| B3 | Highly flammable |
Technical information
Machining data
Buy Polycarbonate from our webshop
Go green with our recycling partner
