PC sheet (polycarbonate sheet) is a transparent or colored engineering plastic sheet made from polycarbonate (PC) through extrusion or molding. Thicknesses typically range from 1 to 250 mm, widths up to 1.2 meters, and lengths can be customized. As one of the five major engineering plastics, polycarbonate (PC) boasts exceptionally high impact strength, excellent transparency, good heat resistance, and dimensional stability, making it a core material for applications requiring stringent safety, optical performance, and durability. PC sheet, as its basic form, is widely used in architectural lighting, industrial protection, advertising signage, aerospace, medical equipment, and other fields. It is particularly indispensable in applications requiring transparency, strength, and weather resistance.
Core Advantages and Typical Applications of PC Sheet
Summary of Core Advantages
PC Sheet is formed into large-scale, highly uniform transparent or colored sheets through extrusion or molding. Combining the properties of PC materials, it offers the following unique advantages:
"Transparency + Toughness" Dual Properties: It possesses the transparency of glass while possessing the toughness of plastic (resistance to shattering), addressing the drawbacks of traditional glass: fragility, difficulty in processing, and heft.
Lightweight and Safety Protection: With a density of only half that of glass, it is easier to install and transport. Even if it breaks, it remains granular (no sharp fragments), significantly reducing the risk of personal injury (especially suitable for high-traffic areas).
Weather and Chemical Resistance: Modifications allow it to resist UV rays, acid rain, detergents, and other corrosion (outdoor billboards and greenhouses remain discolored even after long-term use).
Easy Processing and Customization: Curved and custom-shaped structures (such as domes and curved partitions) can be created through processes such as hot bending (thermoforming), cutting, drilling, and bonding to meet personalized design needs.
Multifunctional scalability: Through surface treatment (such as anti-glare coating, anti-static coating) or co-extrusion process (such as multi-layer composite: UV protection layer + substrate layer + wear-resistant layer), sun protection, anti-fog, scratch resistance and other functions can be achieved.
Typical application scenarios
Building and lighting fields
Architectural lighting panels (replacing glass/sun panels): used for lighting on the roofs or side walls of industrial plants, gymnasiums, and exhibition halls (high light transmittance and impact resistance to avoid the risk of glass falling; ordinary sun panels (PC hollow panels) are easy to delaminate, and solid PC sheets are more durable).
Curtain walls and partitions: transparent curtain walls of modern buildings (such as the facades of airports and shopping malls), indoor space partitions (such as office glass walls), both beautiful and safe (impact resistance meets public place standards).
Greenhouses and agricultural greenhouses: agricultural greenhouse covering materials (light transmittance ≥ 90%, resistance to UV and rain erosion, extending service life to 5-10 years; ordinary plastic films are prone to aging and damage).
Industrial and protection fields
Protective masks and shields: Transparent shields for riot police, factory operator protective masks (impact resistance to stones, sticks, etc., to protect personnel safety).
Equipment protective covers: Transparent protective covers for machine tool operating panels (to prevent cutting fluid from splashing while observing the internal operating status), laboratory instrument windows (resistant to chemical corrosion).
Explosion-proof windows and safety glass replacements: Intermediate layers in bulletproof/explosion-proof glass interlayers for bank counters and museum display cabinets (absorb impact energy and improve overall safety).
Advertising and display fields
Advertising light box panels: Ultra-thin PC sheets (1-3mm) are used for transparent panels of LED light boxes (high light transmittance allows light to be transmitted evenly, and the surface is smooth and free of pitting).
Signs and display racks: Transparent display covers for shopping mall signs and exhibitions (scratch-resistant and easy to clean, and will not turn yellow after long-term use).
Transportation and Aerospace
Rail transit windows: Interior doors and windows of subways and high-speed trains (lightweight and impact-resistant to prevent accidental collisions and shattering by passengers).
Aircraft cabin partitions: Interior partitions of some light aircraft (weighing only 1/2 of glass and meeting aviation safety standards).
