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Material

Polycarbonate

pol-ee-KAR-bun-ate
Also Known As PC
Materials Engineering

Polycarbonate is a group of thermoplastic polymers whose chain carries repeating carbonate groups, giving it exceptional impact resistance and optical clarity for a plastic. Hermann Schnell at Bayer in Uerdingen patented the first linear polycarbonate in 1953; Daniel Fox at General Electric independently synthesized a branched version about a week later the same year, and the two companies competing routes both reached commercial production. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Primary Use
Power-system and telecommunications hardware, where its electrical insulation, heat resistance and flame retardance are valued, alongside eyewear lenses, safety glazing and compact discs. 1
Origin Year
1953 1
Classification
Material Class
Polymer or Plastic 1
Connections

Associated With

Additive Manufacturing, Methods
Blow Molding Machine, Inventions
Compact Disc, Inventions
DVD, Inventions
Eyeglasses, Inventions

Polycarbonate is a common impact-resistant eyeglass lens material.

Injection Molding, Methods

Polycarbonate is routinely shaped by injection molding.

Materials Engineering, Fields
Plastics, Materials
Vacuum Forming Machine, Inventions

In Field

Materials Engineering, Fields
Sources
1. Polycarbonate (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section
    Research resumed in 1953, when Hermann Schnell at Bayer in Uerdingen, Germany patented the first linear polycarbonate.
  • Applications section
    A good electrical insulator with heat-resistant and flame-retardant properties, it is used in products associated with power systems and telecommunications hardware.
  • Introduction
    Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers.
  • material-class sentence
    Polycarbonate is a group of thermoplastic polymers whose chain carries repeating carbonate groups, giving it exceptional impact resistance and optical clarity for a plastic.
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