Everything You Need To Know About

Polycarbonate (PC)
Tony Rogers on August 21, 2015

What is PC, and What is it Used For?

Polycarbonate (PC) plastics are a naturally

transparent amorphousthermoplastic. Although they are made commercially
available in a variety of colors (perhaps translucent and perhaps not), the raw
material allows for the internal transmission of light nearly in the same
capacity as glass. Polycarbonate polymers are used to produce a variety of
materials and are particularly useful when impact resistance and/or
transparency are a product requirement (e.g. in bullet-proof glass). PC is
commonly used for plastic lenses in eyewear, in medical devices, automotive
components, protective gear, greenhouses, Digital Disks (CDs, DVDs, and
Blu-ray), and exterior lighting fixtures. Polycarbonate also has very good heat
resistance and can be combined with flame retardant materials without
significant material degradation. Polycarbonate plastics are engineering
plastics in that they are typically used for more capable, robust materials such
as in impact resistant “glass-like” surfaces.

The following diagram shows the relative impact strength of Polycarbonate

when compared to the impact strength of other commonly used plastics such
as ABS, Polystyrene (PS), or Nylon.

Image From ptsllc.com

Another feature of polycarbonate is that it is very pliable. It can typically be
formed at room temperature without cracking or breaking, similar to aluminum
sheet metal. Although deformation may be simpler with the application of heat,
even small angle bends are possible without it. This characteristic makes
polycarbonate sheet stock particularly useful in prototyping applications where
sheet metal lacks viability (e.g. when transparency is required or when a non-
conductive material with good electrical insulation properties is required).

What are the Characteristics of Polycarbonate?

Now that we know what it is used for, let’s examine some of the key properties
of Polycarbonate. PC is classified as a “thermoplastic” (as opposed to
“thermoset”), and the name has to do with the way the plastic responds to
heat. Thermoplastic materials become liquid at their melting point (155
degrees Celsius in the case of Polycarbonat). A major useful attribute
about thermoplastics is that they can be heated to their melting point, cooled,
and reheated again without significant degradation. Instead of burning,
thermoplastics like Polycarbonate liquefy, which allows them to be
easily injection molded and then subsequently recycled.

By contrast, thermoset plastics can only be heated once (typically during the
injection molding process). The first heating causes thermoset materials to set
(similar to a 2-part epoxy) resulting in a chemical change that cannot be
reversed. If you tried to heat a thermoset plastic to a high temperature a
second time it would simply burn. This characteristic makes thermoset
materials poor candidates for recycling.

Polycarbonate is also an amorphous material, meaning that it does not exhibit

the ordered characteristics of crystalline solids. Typically amorphous plastics
demonstrate a tendency to gradually soften (i.e. they have a wider range
between their glass transition temperature and their melting point) rather than
to exhibit a sharp transition from solid to liquid as is the case in crystalline
polymers.Lastly, Polycarbonate is a copolymer in that it is composed of
several different monomer types in combination with one another.
Why is Polycarbonate used so often?
Polycarbonate is an incredibly useful plastic for applications requiring
transparency and high impact resistance. It is a lighter alternative to glass and
a natural UV filter, so it is often used in eyewear. At Creative Mechanisms, we
have used Polycarbonate in a number of applications across a range of
industries. A few examples include the following:

 clear windows on prototype models

 color tinted translucent prototypes

 clear tubes for sports equipment prototypes

 diffusers and light pipes for LEDs

 clear molds for urethane and silicone casting

 3D printed models for high heat applications when ABS is not an option

 machinery guards

We have seen tinted PC used for the purposes of reducing glare (for example
to cover lighted signs on the highway). Companies that manufacture this type
of product often put tinted Polycarbonate on the front of their signs to both
protect the LEDs and to reduce glare.

What Are The Different Types of Polycarbonate?

According to AZO Materials, polycarbonate was concurrently developed in the
middle 20th century by GE in the United States and Bayer in Germany. In the
modern era it is manufactured by a large number of firms, each typically with
their own production process and unique formula. Trade names include well
known variants (or “resins”) like Lexan® by SABIC, or Makrolon® by Bayer
MaterialScience. You can view a full list of material manufacturers here.

There are various industry grades of polycarbonate available. Most are called
by the generic name (polycarbonate) and are typically differentiated by the
amount of glass fiber reinforcing they contain and the variance in melt flow
between them. Some polycarbonates have additives such as “ultraviolet
stabilizers” that protect the material from long-term exposure to the Sun.
Injection moldable polycarbonate might include other additives such as mold
release agents that lubricate the material during processing. Finished
polycarbonate is typically sold in cylinders, rods or sheets.

How is PC made?

Polycarbonate, like other plastics, starts with the distillation of hydrocarbon

fuels into lighter groups called “fractions” some of which are combined with
other catalysts to produce plastics (typically via polymerization or
polycondensation). You can read about the process in more depth here.

PC for Prototype Development on CNC Machines and 3D

Printers:
PC is available in sheet stock and round stock, making it a good candidate for
subtractive machining processes on a mill or lathe. Colors are usually limited
to clear, white, and black. Parts that are machined from clear stock usually
require some post processing to remove tool marks and to restore the
transparent nature of the material.

Because Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic material, certain 3D printers are

able to print with PC using the FDM process. The material is purchased
in filament form and the 3D printer heats and deposits the filament into the
desired 3D shape. PC for 3D printing is usually limited to a white color.
PC/ABS blends are also available for 3D printing on an FDM machine.

Is PC Toxic?

There is a potential that certain types of polycarbonate could be hazardous in

food contact situations due to the release of Bisphenol A (BPA) during
hydrolysis (degradation due to material contact with water)1. The most
commonly made types of polycarbonate are created by the combination of
BPA and COCl2, however, there are BPA free polycarbonates that have
become particularly marketable for applications involving perishable food or
water.

There have been roughly 100 studies conducted on BPA and the results are
somewhat controversial in that a correlation between funding source and risk
assessment has been shown to exist. Most studies with government funding
showed BPA to be a hazardous risk to health while many with industry funding
showed lower to no medical risks. Regardless of the contradictory studies on
the negative effects of BPA, certain types of Polycarbonate have been
associated with its release. This has led to the advent of “BPA-Free”
polycarbonate products (commonly shown on consumer products such as
canning jars).

What are the Disadvantages of Polycarbonate?

Although Polycarbonate is known for its high impact resistance, it is very

susceptible to scratching. For this reason, clear surfaces such as a
polycarbonate lenses in a pair of glasses will typically be coated with a
scratch-resistant layer for protection.

What are the Properties of Polycarbonate?

Property Value

Technical Name Polycarbonate (PC)

Chemical Formula C15H16O2

Melt Temperature 288-316 °C (550-600 °F) ***

Typical Mold Temperature 82 - 121 °C (180 - 250 °F) ***

Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) 140 °C (284 °F) at 0.46 MPa (66 PSI) **

Tensile Strength 59 MPa (8500 PSI) ***

Flexural Strength 93 MPa (13500 PSI) ***

Specific Gravity 1.19

Shrink Rate 0.6 - 0.9 % (.006 - .009 in/in) ***