In the plastics industry, polycarbonate sheet is one of the most versatile materials on the market. Used for everything from medical equipment to food processing, polycarbonate has a number of specific benefits that cause them to be a favorite among builders and product manufacturers. Here's what today's product manufacturers need to know about polycarbonate sheet, its uses, and its benefits.
What Is Polycarbonate Sheet?
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that comes in a transparent sheet. It is incredibly tough and absorbs minimal moisture, making it resistant to impact damage as well as water damage. It's also flame-retardant and chemical resistant.
Common Applications or Polycarbonate Sheet
Polycarbonate sheet is durable, transparent and sanitary. This makes it effective in many different applications, including:
- Skylights
- Window glazing
- Sign faces
- Riot shields
- Enclosures
- Food processing
- Medical equipment
- Aerospace
- Exhibits and displays
If you have an application where a strong, transparent plastic would serve you well, polycarbonate may be the ideal solution.
Advantages of Polycarbonate Sheet as a Building and Manufacturing Material
Polycarbonate sheet is the choice of manufacturers in a wide range of industries because of its benefits. One of the most important is its strength combined with design flexibility. Polycarbonate is 30 times stronger than acrylic and over 200 times stronger than glass. However, it's also more easily molded than glass and is much lighter.
The chemical and scratch resistance of the material is another advantage of polycarbonate sheet. It's difficult to mar the surface of polycarbonate, and because it does not absorb moisture, the surface is easily sanitized for food and medical applications.
Another benefit of polycarbonate is its insulating properties. It insulates better than glass, and thus when used for building purposes it can lower energy costs. Because it's transparent, polycarbonate can be used in applications where glass is also used, like glazing security lights or covering skylights.
Polycarbonate comes in many different formulations, and this flexibility is yet another one of its benefits. The formulation can be highly specific to the application. Piedmont Plastics offers a number of different formulations and provides help with selecting the right polycarbonate sheet for the specific application. If you are in need of the benefits available with polycarbonate sheet, contact the skilled team at Piedmont to help you choose the right materials for your project.