Overview
Weather-resistant polycarbonate (PC) is a high-performance thermoplastic engineered to endure prolonged exposure to sunlight, temperature fluctuations, and moisture without significant degradation. Unlike standard PC, it incorporates additives like UV absorbers or stabilizers (e.g., hindered amine light stabilizers) to prevent yellowing and loss of mechanical properties. This material retains the inherent advantages of PC—such as optical clarity and impact resistance—while extending service life in outdoor or harsh environments. Developed in response to demands from industries requiring durable transparent materials, weather-resistant PC is now a staple in applications ranging from greenhouse panels to automotive headlamp lenses. Its ability to maintain structural integrity under thermal stress (-40°C to 120°C) makes it preferable to alternatives like acrylic or glass in many scenarios.
Physical and Chemical Properties
Weather-resistant PC exhibits a unique combination of properties: it transmits up to 90% of visible light (comparable to glass) while offering 250 times the impact resistance. The UV-stabilized variants show less than 5% transmittance loss after 10,000 hours of accelerated weathering tests (per ASTM G155). Its coefficient of thermal expansion (6.5×10⁻⁵/°C) is lower than many plastics, reducing dimensional instability in temperature-varying environments. Chemically, it resists dilute acids, alcohols, and aliphatic hydrocarbons but may degrade with prolonged exposure to strong alkalis or aromatic solvents. The material’s hydrolytic stability is enhanced in weather-resistant formulations, minimizing chain scission in humid conditions. Flame-retardant grades (UL94 V-0) are available for electronics applications.
Main Applications
In construction, weather-resistant PC is used for skylights, noise barriers, and stadium roofing due to its light weight and shatter resistance. The automotive industry employs it for sunroofs, mirror housings, and LED light guides, where UV stability prevents fogging and brittleness. Electronics manufacturers utilize it for outdoor display screens and solar panel components, benefiting from its dielectric properties and weatherability. Emerging applications include 5G antenna radomes, where the material’s RF transparency and environmental resistance are critical. Medical device manufacturers also adopt it for sterilization-resistant equipment housings. In consumer goods, it appears in premium outdoor furniture and protective eyewear lenses.
Safety and Storage
While polycarbonate is generally safe, processing (e.g., injection molding) at high temperatures (>300°C) may release trace bisphenol A (BPA), requiring adequate ventilation. Finished products pose minimal risk as BPA is tightly bound in the polymer matrix. Storage guidelines emphasize protection from ambient UV exposure—even pre-production pellets should be kept in opaque bags to prevent premature stabilization depletion. For long-term stockpiling, climate-controlled warehouses (<30°C, <50% RH) are recommended. Sheets should be stored flat to prevent warping. Unlike metals, PC doesn’t corrode but may absorb moisture (0.2–0.3% by weight), necessitating drying (120°C for 4 hours) before high-temperature processing to avoid bubble formation.
B2B Procurement Guide
When sourcing weather-resistant PC, specify the required UV stabilization level—common industry standards include QUV-B (severe) or QUV-A (moderate) testing protocols. For optical applications, request yellowness index (YI) data; premium grades maintain YI <1.5 after prolonged exposure. Volume buyers (10+ tons) can negotiate 5–15% discounts, especially for standardized grades like Sabic Lexan 9034 or Covestro Makrolon AG2677. Lead times vary from 2 weeks (domestic stock) to 8 weeks (custom formulations). Certifications to verify include FDA compliance for food-contact applications and EN 13501-1 fire ratings for building materials. Consider suppliers offering technical support for co-design services, as processing parameters differ slightly from regular PC.
Related Manufacturers
- 主营：[]
- 主营：[]
- 主营：耐高温塑料、热塑弹性体塑料、工程塑料、通用塑料、增韧塑料
- 主营：气元件、共聚物、电池盒、电气性、改性料、聚合物、聚丙烯、波形板、聚烯烃、成核剂、密封圈、连接器、成型周、均聚物、绝缘件、挤出tpu、密封件、尼龙、PPS、POM
- 主营：塑胶原料
- 主营：PPS塑料、LCP塑料、POM塑料、PC塑料、PCTG塑料
- 主营：POM、PA66、POE、工程塑料改性、各种进口工程塑料
- 主营：PA6、PA66、PC、热塑性弹性体、耐高温尼龙、POM、PP、PA12、PET、PPS、POE、TPU、EVA、尼龙、聚甲醛、聚丙烯、聚乙烯、高密度聚乙烯、低密度聚乙烯、PEEK、PVDF、聚碳酸酯、PMMA、SEBS
- 主营：POM美国杜邦、PA66杜邦、TPV塞拉尼斯、pcabs台化、PPA瑞士EMS、ABS台湾奇美、EMA韩国sk、PETG韩国sk、PC沙伯基础、COC德国TOPAS、POK韩国晓星、PA6巴斯夫、EBA西班牙雷普索尔、EVA美国杜邦、PA12瑞士EMS、TPU德国巴斯夫、PARA比利时索尔维、PPO沙伯基础、PPS日本东丽、PPSU索尔维、PES美国索尔维、PSU索尔维、PCTG美国伊士曼、HDPE利安德巴塞尔、PMMA韩国LG
- 主营：POM、PA66、PA46、PET、PTFE
- 主营：塑胶原料、POM、PA66、PA6、ABS、PC
- 主营：PC、ABS、阻燃PC、沙伯基础PC、PEEK、PC/ABS、ABS阻燃、EVA、PA66、PA6
- 主营：pa6613g50、pa6690g50、pomm90-44、pcad-5503、pc1300-03、pcgs-3420、pck-1300y、pa6621spc、pcgs-3410、注塑料、低翘曲、pa6614g25、防火料、宝泰菱、pa66fh772、pa673g30t、pa66a225f、易流动、pa6620nsp、abspa-709、pa66fg171、pa66a246m、pa661402s、聚酰胺、台塑钢
- 主营：POM、PA66、TPEE、PE、PBT、PA、PPO、PC
- 主营：PSU、PC、POM、PBT、PET、LCP、PPS、PPA、PPO、PEEK、PEI、PES、TPE、TPV、TPEE、PTFE、PVDF、FEP、PFA、氟橡胶、ABS、PP、HDPE、尼龙系列
- 主营：耐气候影响性阻燃性PC、汽车部件
- 主营：电话线、片材料、滑石粉、耐燃油、珠璃珠、35%玻纤、电子领、共聚物、q434 mabs、15%玻纤、碳纤维、35%玻璃、合金料、共取物、储存箱、颗粒料、玻璃珠、50%矿物、玻纤维、共聚pom、璃纤维、润滑剂、添加剂、55%玻纤、15%填料