Where is polycarbonate plastic from

Click here for more information. In applications such as baby bottles, plastic materials due to the inherent safety unbreakable and the design freedom they offer are increasingly replacing glass. This ductile behaviour and excellent surface appearance can be designed in a vast array of 'trendy' colours. The British Plastics Federation have over members many of which supply polycarbonate and other major polymers. The BPF offer a free 'source a supplier' service - simply complete the form below and we will send you enquiry direct to companies who can supply you with the product you are looking for.

British Plastics Federation. Polymer Prices. Member Offers. International Market Data. Sales Leads. Chemical Legislation. Get Funding. Promote Your Company. Health and Safety. Legal Support. BPF Branding. Communication Tools. Influence UK Policy. Your Company Page. While glass-reinforced polycarbonate has less impact strength than standard grades, it is still tougher and more impact resistant than most other plastics and die cast aluminum.

It features a unique combination of high light diffusion and high light transmission through a combination of optimized surface texture and advanced diffuser technologies. Available in clear or colors. This non-UV stable sheet offers excellent optical clarity, good heat resistance, and high impact strength.

It meets the stringent UL 94 V-0 rating at 0. Backed by a year performance warranty against breakage, yellowing, and loss of light transmission , it is an excellent choice for glazing applications where there is potential for glass breakage. It has an abrasion resistant coating that provides up to twice the life of prior polycarbonate sheet products. The material is available in a variety of configurations depending on the level of protection required.

Applications include aftermarket automotive parts, recreational vehicular glazing, military vehicular glazing and laminated security glazing. It offers high light IR, UV, or visible light blocking properties at targeted wavelengths while maintaining high optical clarity.

Designed with optical clarity and durability in mind, an abrasion resistant coating is applied on both sides, offers high impact resistance, and unlike glass it will not shatter into sharp-edged pieces. 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. Lastly, Polycarbonate is a copolymer in that it is composed of several different monomer types in combination with one another.

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:. 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.

In the modern era it is manufactured by a large number of firms, each typically with their own production process and unique formula. 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.

Injection moldable polycarbonate might include other additives such as mold release agents that lubricate the material during processing. Finished p olycarbonate is typically sold i n cylinders, rods or sheets.

You can read about the process in more depth here.