Polycarbonate: Characteristics
Clarity and near-unbreakable impact strength
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.PC is bought for clarity, impact strength and heat resistance. Melt flow decides whether it suits thin electronics parts or extruded sheet. Optical grades need very low yellowness. UV-stabilised and flame-retardant grades command premiums.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light transmission | about 88-90% at 3 mm (indicative) | Glass replacement in lenses and glazing | typical datasheet values (indicative) |
| Notched Izod impact | about 60-90 kJ/m2 (indicative) | Near-unbreakable glazing and helmets | typical datasheet values (indicative) |
| Glass transition temperature | about 145-150 C (indicative) | Headlamps and electrical parts | typical datasheet values (indicative) |
| Melt flow rate | about 3-35 g/10 min at 300 C, 1.2 kg (indicative) | Low flow for sheet, high flow for thin-wall parts | typical datasheet values (indicative) |
Commercial grades
- general purpose injection
- optical (lenses, LED, discs)
- extrusion sheet and multiwall
- flame-retardant electronics
- medical
- UV-stabilised glazing
- PC/ABS and PC/PBT blends
- siloxane copolymer low-temperature impact