Polycarbonate materials give you a great blend of useful features which include temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastic materials and engineering plastics.
Polycarbonate is definitely a sturdy material. Although it offers higher impact-resistance, it has minimal scratch-resistance and so a hard coating may be applied to polycarbonate eye wear and polycarbonate exterior auto components. The characteristics associated with polycarbonate tend to be comparable to those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), although polycarbonate is actually stronger, it is usable in a wider temperature range and is a bit more expensive. This plastic polymer is highly transparent to visible light and it has better light transmission characteristics than most grades of glass.
Polycarbonate carries a glass transition temperature of about 150 °C (302 °F), as a result it softens gradually above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools are required to be held at higher temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) to help with making strain- and reduced stress products.
Unlike many thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo large changes in basic shape without cracking. For that reason, it may be processed and formed   cold using standard sheet metal techniques, such as forming bends with a brake. Even for sharp angle bends with a tight radius, no heating is usually necessary. This makes it valuable in prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are important, which cannot be made from sheet metal. Note that PMMA/Plexiglas, which happens to be similar in looks to polycarbonate, but it is brittle and can’t be bent at room temperature.
Polycarbonate is commonly found in eye protection, and also in other projectile-resistant viewing and lighting applications that would normally be thought of as requiring the use of glass, but require greater impact-resistance. Several types of lenses are manufactured from polycarbonate, including automotive headlamp lenses, lighting lenses, sunglass/eyeglass lenses, swimming and SCUBA goggles, and safety goggles for use in sporting helmets/masks and police riot gear. Windscreens in small motorized vehicles are commonly produced from polycarbonate, such as for motorcycles, ATVs, golf carts, and small planes and helicopters.

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