Polycarbonate is ubiquitous and can be found on many of our products – bus, car or bike shelters, smoking and waiting shelters, and so on. It is a versatile material that can be easily found around us and used in many industries. It has many benefits, and its use makes for lighter-weight products that are simultaneously robust, hardy, and weather-resistant.
What is Polycarbonate?
Polycarbonate is a type of thermoplastic polymer with carbonate groups in its structure. It is a durable material that can be quite impact-resistant and hold itself well against starches.
Polycarbonate is known for its transparency, impact resistance, and heat resistance. It is derived from bisphenol A (BPA) and phosgene, and it is often used as a substitute for glass due to its lightweight nature and shatter-resistant properties.
Its transparency rivals that of glass while offering significantly higher impact resistance. This transparency makes it a popular choice for applications where visibility or natural light transmission is desired, such as in construction materials like roofing sheets, skylights, and greenhouse panels.
In addition to its transparency, polycarbonate is valued for its strength and toughness. It is virtually unbreakable under normal conditions, making it an ideal material for applications requiring impact resistance, such as safety equipment like riot shields, safety glasses, and helmets. Its ability to withstand high levels of force without shattering also makes it suitable for use in automotive components, electronic enclosures, and consumer goods where durability is paramount.
Polycarbonate also has good thermal stability. This means that it retains its properties over a wide temperature range. Its stability and resistance to UV rays and weather often make it the material of choice for outdoor structures.
Polycarbonate can be processed using various techniques – injection moulding, extrusion, and thermoforming. This means creating complex shapes and structures with relative ease is possible. This makes it a versatile material for a wide range of applications across industries such as construction, automotive, electronics, and consumer goods.
What Are The Uses of Polycarbonate?
Electronic Components: Maybe surprisingly, polycarbonate’s most popular use is in the electronics industry. Polycarbonate is used in various electronic components such as LED diffusers, optical discs, and electrical connectors due to its electrical insulation properties and ability to be moulded into intricate shapes.
Construction Materials: Its second most popular use is as a construction material due to its comparative lightweighness and durability. It is often used to make glazing, roof sheets, sound walls, shelters or greenhouses. Polycarbonate sheets are commonly used in construction for their strength, durability, and suitability for outdoor use. Its transparency is also important as it allows natural light to pass through.
Automotive Industry: Polycarbonate is utilised in automotive applications such as headlight lenses, interior trim components, and instrument panels because of its impact resistance and ability to withstand high temperatures.
Safety Equipment and Eye Protection: It is used in safety equipment such as riot shields, safety glasses, windscreens and helmets due to its high impact resistance, protecting against impacts and projectiles.
Consumer Goods: It has been increasingly used where glass might have previously been used, like screens for portable devices. Polycarbonate is used to manufacture consumer goods such as water bottles, food containers, and eyewear frames due to its lightweight nature, durability, and transparency. However, there have been increasing worries about its BPA use in manufacturing, and now most containers that come into contact with food are BPA-free.
Why We Use It In Our Products?
Polycarbonate, alongside steel and stainless steel, is probably the second most used material in the manufacturing of our shelters. There are several good reasons for that. Polycarbonate sheets offer transparency, durability, and protection in a cost-effective way that is sometimes unmatched by any other material.
Here is why we make great use of polycarbonate in our products:
Durability: Products made from polycarbonate are durable and resistant to impact. They are suitable for outdoor use and will last long without much wear and tear. This durability ensures that the products can withstand daily stresses and bad weather or strong sun, reducing the need for frequent replacements and maintenance -something of primary importance in the construction sector.
Transparency: Polycarbonate offers transparency, giving products a clear and aesthetically pleasing appearance. This is great, especially since this transparency doesn’t come at the cost of strength or durability, as sometimes can be the case with glass. This characteristic of polycarbonate is an advantage for our shelters as they serve their purpose of being a protected space but still let the sunlight in and make for a bright, welcoming, good user experience on sunny days, of course.
Lightweight: Despite its strength, polycarbonate is relatively lightweight compared to materials like glass or metal. This makes it an attractive choice for products as they don’t incur unnecessary transport costs, and a small number of workers with hardly any equipment can install a shelter.
Impact Resistance: Products made from polycarbonate are highly resistant to impact and shattering, providing enhanced user safety and protection. This makes it a preferred material for shelters, which may be located near streets, inside car parks or at sports grounds where there is a chance a vehicle or a flying ball may hit the shelter.
Weather Resistance: One of our top reasons for using polycarbonate is its excellent weather resistance and, most importantly, its resistance to UV rays. This makes it perfect for outdoor products such as our shelters, as we know that protection from harmful weather is essential for our clients and the end users and is a primary reason for buying a shelter in the first place. This weather resistance also ensures that shelters made from polycarbonate will remain intact and functional over time.
Polycarbonate is an ideal material for our shelters due to its durability, transparency, lightweight nature, impact resistance, and weather resistance. These qualities ensure long-lasting protection, easy installation, and a pleasant user experience in diverse outdoor settings. Polycarbonate shelters embody our commitment to providing high-quality, functional, and reliable solutions for our clients and users.