Lexan Polycarbonate Sheets: The GenNext Of Acrylic Fabrication
Lexan polycarbonate sheets are the newer version of plastic formation. Let’s see what are the features and benefits of such materials.
In the industry of plastics, especially in acrylic fabrication, polycarbonate is the most impact-resistant clear sheet available today, and Lexan is the most common brand name of polycarbonate. Lexan sheeting has the capability of high resistance, as they are approximately 250 times stronger than plate glass and thirty times stronger than acrylic of equal thickness. It is unlikely to break, shatter, or chip when bombarded with any thrown objects, like bricks, rocks and bottles. Also, the material does not break easily when hammered, twisted or bent. Because of its ductility, glazing can be cured and cold-formed on site from flat sheet into much tighter curves than is possible with acrylic. This provides the freedom to construct curved architectural glazing during installation without the pre-forming and fabrication costs associated with glass and acrylic.
The basics of Lexan polycarbonate sheets
Lexan has a unique chemical formation that forms the sheet into something which is tough enough to stop a bullet and yet flexible to help create a product as delicate as a DVD. Thus, with such kind of plastic, your acrylic boxes can be much tougher than what they are. This is because Lexan is actually a polycarbonate resin thermoplastic, which means it’s a solid substance that can deform due to extreme heat. Its molecules are comprised to form a repetition of subunits. It is a type of thermoplastic which has the ability to undergo significant deformation without cracking or breaking. Thus, the strength and flexibility has brought (plastic) promotional materials to a new stage with loads of facility.
Lexan Polycarbonate Features
• Excellent impact resistance
• Low rigidity and can be bought in flexible grades
• Clarity and optimal light transmittance
• Highly resistant to acids and other chemicals such as gasoline
• Can be drilled without worry of cracking
• Flame Retardant
• Can be easily machined to custom specifications
• Excellent ductility
• Can be cold formed or bent without heating
Lexan polycarbonate sheets are superior insulating material compared to glass with equivalent thicknesses. Double-glazing or over-glazing can be applied as per the requirement. This type of polycarbonate sheet transmits up to 88% of visible light, which is close to that of glass. So, isn’t it a wonder with such thickness it’s still providing light transmission similar to glass?
This means, with the help of such materials business owners can achieve a number of promotional products keeping the strength and flexibility in mind.