POLICARBONATE

Name: Polycarbonate, PC

Real name: Polycarbonate

Composition: C15H16O2

Family: Thermoplastics

Density: 1.20

Temperature range: -40º/120ºC

Owned by: Bayer (originally), General Electric

The development of polycarbonate has its roots in the 19th century, although its industrial application did not consolidate until the mid-20th century. In 1898, the German chemist Alfred Einhorn was one of the first to synthesize polycarbonates, though its true potential was not recognized at the time. It was not until the 1950s that two major companies, Bayer in Germany and General Electric in the United States, managed to produce polycarbonate on an industrial scale with commercial applications.

In 1953, scientist Hermann Schnell, working for Bayer, developed an effective synthesis method that allowed the material to be produced stably and in large quantities. Shortly after, in 1958, General Electric introduced its own commercial version under the brand name Lexan, while Bayer launched it on the market as Makrolon. Since then, polycarbonate has been considered a strategic material, used in both everyday applications and high-tech developments.

Its success lay in its ability to offer a lighter and more resistant alternative to glass, with an added bonus of safety thanks to its high impact resistance. This characteristic was crucial for its expansion into sectors such as construction and the automotive industry, where innovative materials capable of improving efficiency and safety were sought.

Polycarbonate is distinguished by a combination of properties that make it unique compared to other engineering plastics. One of its most notable characteristics is its high impact resistance, considered up to 250 times greater than that of conventional glass. This quality makes it a practically unbreakable material under normal use conditions, which increases its lifespan and safety in critical applications.

Despite its resistance, polycarbonate maintains excellent transparency, reaching light transmission levels of up to 90%, positioning it as a direct substitute for glass in windows, roofs, visors, and optical products. Furthermore, it is a very lightweight material, much easier to handle and transport than glass or metals, without compromising structural strength.

In terms of thermal behavior, polycarbonate withstands high temperatures without deforming easily and maintains dimensional stability in demanding environments. It also offers good electrical insulation properties, making it suitable for electronic and electrical applications. Another advantage is its ability to be thermoformed and molded into different shapes and sizes, which expands its versatility in manufacturing processes.

Polycarbonate can also be treated with special coatings that improve its resistance to UV rays and abrasion, as it can become opaque on its own with prolonged exposure to the sun. These enhancements make it a reliable material even under extreme weather conditions.

The applications of polycarbonate are extensive and cover multiple sectors due to its combination of resistance, transparency, and ease of manufacturing. In construction, it is widely used in roofs, translucent sheets, domes, security windows, and architectural panels that need to allow natural light to pass through without sacrificing impact protection.

In the automotive industry, it is employed in the manufacture of headlights, motorcycle windscreens, protective visors, interior components, and elements that need to be lightweight yet resistant. Its use contributes to reducing vehicle weight, which improves energy efficiency and performance.

In the electronic and electrical sector, polycarbonate is indispensable in the production of device casings, insulating components, connectors, optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays, as well as precision parts used in the manufacture of medical and communication equipment. Its resistance to heat and electricity makes it a safe and reliable material for these applications.

The security industry also leverages the potential of polycarbonate in the production of shields, helmet visors, protective eyewear, bulletproof partitions, and armored windows, where its transparency is combined with its ability to absorb high-energy impacts.

Furthermore, in mass consumer goods, it is found in reusable bottles, kitchen utensils, ophthalmic lenses, and sports accessories. Polycarbonate continues to expand into new applications in innovative fields such as 3D printing, robotics, and renewable energy, especially in solar panels and high-performance protection systems.