Polycarbonate (PC GF20)

---

Polycarbonate (PC) is an amorphous transparent material that combines good electrical and mechanical properties.

It represents a material grade that lends itself well to various industrial applications. As well as being fully recyclable, Polycarbonate benefits from good machinability and can be accurately processed to close working tolerances. An enhanced Polycarbonate (PC GF 20) offers improved tensile strength and stiffness with lower coefficient thermal expansion. Polycarbonate is also machinable to close tolerances.

Benefits:

Typical commercial applications include:

• High impact strength and heat resistance
• Good electrical insulation characteristics
• Fracture resistant
• Transparent with good dimensional stability

Applications

Polycarbonate finds widespread commercial engineering use in applications such as manifolds, automotive parts, safety glasses, impact guards and packaging.

Recyclability

While not biodegradable, polycarbonate is 100% recyclable. The process usually involves the material being sorted, shredded and washed before being turned into granules for re-use. Also, when polycarbonate is heated to its melting point, it becomes liquid and can be moulded into different shapes. Plastic recycling centres gain excellent yields from recycled polycarbonate.

Use in automotive

Polycarbonate is used extensively in the automotive sector to replace glass and metals. The ability in automotive engineering to lose weight is a primary driver, and polycarbonate fulfils these requirements by providing a lightweight solution without reducing impact strength. Today, cars lean heavily on thermoplastics, and polycarbonate finds use in headlights, bumpers, sunroofs and engine covers.

Availability

We stock polycarbonate in plate, sheets and tubes.