Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate at Piedmont Plastics

Polycarbonate is a high-performance thermoplastic polymer known for its remarkable blend of features. It's an optically clear or opaque material that offers an exceptional balance of toughness, transparency, and heat resistance. Unlike other plastics and glass, polycarbonate doesn't shatter, which makes it ideal for various applications across industries. Its molecular structure gives it superior strength and flexibility, allowing it to withstand significant physical impacts and temperature extremes without deforming or breaking.

Benefits of Polycarbonate

• Impact Resistance: Polycarbonate is virtually unbreakable. It is approximately 200 times stronger than glass and 30 times stronger than acrylic, making it an ideal choice for safety and security applications.

• Light Weight: Despite its strength, polycarbonate is surprisingly lightweight and six times lighter than glass. This makes it easier to handle, transport, and install compared to heavier alternatives like glass.

• Optical Clarity: Polycarbonate maintains crystal clear transparency, making it a perfect substitute for glass in applications where visibility is essential.

• Temperature Tolerance: It can withstand extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, without losing its shape or clarity, ensuring longevity and performance in various environmental conditions.

• UV Resistance: Many polycarbonate sheets are treated with a UV-resistant coating, which protects the material from the harmful effects of the sun, extending its life and preserving its clarity.

• Versatility in Design: Polycarbonate can be easily molded and shaped, allowing for flexibility in design and application.

• Easy to Work With: It can be drilled, cut, and shaped using standard workshop tools, making it convenient for custom applications.

Common Markets and Applications for Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is an attractive material to use in indoor and outdoor settings. Due to the exceptional versatility of polycarbonate, it has multiple uses across many industries, including:

• Building and Construction: Used for skylights, roofing, windows, and protective barriers polycarbonate panels are often used in the glazing market due to their excellent light transmission, impact resistance, and insulation properties.

• Automotive Industry: Employed in making headlight lenses, bullet resistant windows, and windshields due to its impact resistance and clarity.

• Safety and Security: Used in the production of riot shields, bullet resistant sheet, and protective eyewear.

• Medical Applications: Polycarbonate is used in medical devices and equipment due to its strength, durability, and sterilization compatibility.

• Signage and Displays: Ideal for creating signs, displays, and point-of-purchase materials due to its clarity and ability to be printed on.

• Marine: Boat windows and enclosures often use polycarbonate thanks to its crystal clear transparency, weatherability, resistance to moisture, and UV resistance.

• Aerospace: Utilized in the production of aircraft windows and components, offering a lightweight yet strong alternative to traditional materials.

Polycarbonate Standard Sizes, Thicknesses, and Colors

Polycarbonate is available in a variety of standard colors, sizes, and thicknesses.  You can also request to have your polycarbonate order cut-to-size and machined into fabricated parts to meet the specifications of your application.

Popular Polycarbonate Product Options

TUFFAK® - Perfectly suited for uses in architecture, lighting, security, signage, and transportation, TUFFAK polycarbonate sheets perfectly merge transparency with robustness, offering pristine, uninterrupted visibility. This nearly indestructible sheet excels in a variety of creative and challenging settings. It endures tough conditions, maintaining its exceptional quality and delivering an impressive appearance that lasts for years.

PALSUN® - The PALSUN product line includes basic, UV-protected, and specialty sheets. These sheets provide the transparency of glass while being less than half its weight, along with exceptional impact resistance. PALSUN is versatile in its usage, as it can be cold bent, fabricated, or formed, making it perfect for uses like sign faces, skylights, glazing, and machine guards.

Buy Polycarbonate From Piedmont Plastics

Only the best polycarbonate materials are sold at Piedmont Plastics, and we understand the importance of using quality materials in your projects. No matter your industry, we offer the perfect combination of product expertise and material selection to ensure you’re successful.

Ready to experience the Piedmont difference? Get in touch with us today! Our team is ready to assist you in selecting the right polycarbonate material for your needs. Visit our website or call us to place your order.

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