Polycarbonate (PC) is an amorphous thermoplastic polymer known for its exceptional optical clarity, impact resistance, and dimensional stability across a wide temperature range. It is widely used in demanding applications requiring transparency combined with toughness, such as automotive glazing, protective equipment, medical devices, and consumer electronics housings, where it often replaces glass or acrylic due to superior shatter resistance and design flexibility. Engineers select PC when impact durability, optical properties, and moderate thermal performance must be balanced; it is particularly valued in safety-critical applications and high-visibility components where material failure poses significant risk.
Compliance & Regulations
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Compressive Strength(σc) | 6.130 | ksi | — | ||
Elongation at Break(εf) | 47.11 | - | — | ||
Flexural Strength (MOR)(σf) | 11.01 | ksi | — | ||
Hardness (Vickers)(HV) | 250.3 | HV | — | ||
Ultimate Tensile Strength(σUTS) | 7.436 | ksi | — | ||
Young's Modulus(E) | 288.8 | ksi | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Glass Transition Temperature(Tg) | 293.9 | °F | — | ||
Melting Point / Solidus(Tm) | 402.5 | °F | — | ||
Maximum Service Temperature(Tmax) | 824.8 | °F | — | ||
Thermal Conductivity(k) | 0.3204 | BTU/(hr·ft·°F) | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Density(ρ) | 0.1076 | lb/in³ | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Band Gap(Eg)2 entries | 2.634 | eV | — | ||
| ↳ | 0.000 | eV | — | ||
Magnetic Moment(μB) | 0.000 | µB | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy Above Hull(ΔEhull) | 0.9054 | eV/atom | — | ||
Formation Energy(ΔHf) | 0.9038 | eV/atom | — | ||
Refractive Index(n) | 1.572 | - | — |