Covestro Makrolon Polycarbonate Flat Sheet offering light weight and break resistance
Makrolon Polycarbonate materials have a great blend of beneficial features which include temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastics and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is a very high quality material. Whilst it features higher impact-resistance, it has reduced scratch-resistance and so a hard coating can be applied to polycarbonate eyewear as well as polycarbonate exterior vehicle components. The properties relating to polycarbonate are similar to those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), although 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 has better light transmission characteristics than several types of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of approximately 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) to make strain- and almost stress free products.
Unlike almost all other thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo massive shape changes without cracking or breaking. Because of this, for small changes in shape, it can be processed and formed cold using sheet metal techniques, for example forming bends with a brake. For even sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. This makes it attractive prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are necessary, which may not be made from sheet metal. Understand that PMMA/Plexiglas, which happens to be similar in looks to polycarbonate, but it is brittle and cannot be bent without heating.
The light weight of polycarbonate, unlike glass, has led to development of electronic view screens that replace the traditional glass with polycarbonate, for use in mobile and portable devices. Such displays include newer e-ink and some LCD screens, though CRT, plasma screen and other LCD technologies which still do require glass for its higher melting temperature and the ability to be etched with finer detail.
Other types of items produced 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 products are constructed from 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 could be needed. This may be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or perhaps the coextrusion for enhanced weathering resistance.
Bayer Makrolon Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that starts as a solid plastic material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, this pellet material is heated until they begin to melt. This 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 in a matter of minutes.
Comments
Post a Comment