What is Polycarbonate?

Have you ever wondered what that bulletproof glass that you see inside a bank or its drive-through is made out of?  What about CD’s and DVD’s?  Well, wonder no further!  These products, and so many more, are made out of a versatile and tough plastic called polycarbonate.

Strong

Polycarbonate is nearly unbreakable.  Have you ever tried to purposely break a CD or DVD?  It’s virtually impossible!   Polycarbonate can also be used in place of glass.  An advantage to using polycarbonate is the fact that it weighs only 1/3rd of the weight of acrylic and only 1/6th of the weight of heavy glass.  Along with the advantages comes the disadvantage that it is more expensive than acrylic and glass, but the benefits are tremendous and worth using.

Multiple Uses

Polycarbonate is an excellent material to use due to its durability and high refractive properties.  When used in prescription eyeglasses, the lenses can be thinner than glass or plastic lenses and are more resistant to breakage and scratches.  Other possible uses for polycarbonate are:

·         Sunglasses – that incorporate filters to block UV rays and near-UV rays

·         Colored Computer Cases

·         Cell Phones Casings

·         Pagers Casings

·         Laptop Casings

·         Greenhouse Enclosures

·         Automobile Headlights

·         Outdoor Fixtures

·         Medical Industry Applications