As the world seeks solutions to reduce energy and resource consumption, there is a growing demand for innovative building materials that support more energy-efficient building design. More and more designers and constructors are looking for materials that meet customer requirements for green buildings and meet changing legal standards.
Polycarbonate sheets have become one of the most popular materials in the construction industry. Polycarbonate has many unique advantages, and its sustainability and cost-effectiveness make it a favorite choice for architects, builders, and contractors.
In recent years, polycarbonate sheets have gained prominence among environmentalists, architects, and designers, with the growing trend of green building. Designers often turn to polycarbonate sheets when creating sustainable or green buildings. Their advantages include increased energy efficiency, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.
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What are Polycarbonate Sheets?
Polycarbonate sheets are high-performance, durable, amorphous and transparent thermoplastic polymers. They offer a unique combination of properties resulting from the presence of organic functional groups linked by carbonate groups (–O–(C=O)–O–). With features such as high impact resistance, dimensional stability, and good ionic conductivity, polycarbonate is a popular engineering material.
Properties of polycarbonate sheets
Polycarbonate sheets are manufactured from a polycarbonate polymer that is molded and extruded into transparent, long sheets, which increases their usability. They are characterized by extraordinary strength and minimal moisture absorption, which makes them resistant to corrosion and water damage. In addition, polycarbonate is flame retardant and resistant to chemicals, which increases its applications in various engineering fields.
Main properties of polycarbonate
Polycarbonate (PC) is an ideal material, widely used in the construction industry thanks to its flexibility, environmentally friendly production and recyclability. Polycarbonate sheets are an excellent alternative to glass, PMMA and PE, due to their unique chemical and physical properties that provide greater durability. Here is a detailed description of the main features of polycarbonate sheets:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Endurance and strength | Polycarbonates are highly impact-resistant, providing safety and comfort for reliable applications. The density of the polymer is 1.2-1.22 g/cm³ and is maintained at temperatures between -20°C and 140°C. Polycarbonates are almost indestructible. |
| Transparency | Polycarbonate is extremely transparent, it transmits about 90% of light, similar to glass, but it is lighter. The sheets are available in a wide range of colours and shades to suit your needs. |
| Lightness | Polycarbonate sheets are lightweight, making them an excellent alternative to glass. Their lightness facilitates the installation process, reduces transport and handling costs, and gives greater design possibilities. |
| UV protection | Polycarbonates provide 100% protection against harmful UV rays, making them ideal for use in greenhouses. Additional UV protective coatings are applied during extrusion, which increases their resistance to radiation. |
| Chemical resistance | Polycarbonate is resistant to diluted acids, aliphatic hydrocarbons and alcohols, but less resistant to oils and greases. Diluted alkalis and aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons can damage it. Use appropriate cleaning agents when cleaning. |
| Heat resistance | Polycarbonates are thermally stable up to 135°C and have excellent heat resistance. Their heat tolerance can be increased without altering their design properties by introducing flame retardants. |
Polycarbonate Flexibility
Polycarbonate is a versatile material that can be cold and thermally formed without losing its impact properties or weather resistance.
Forming & Shaping
From opaque cladding panels to roof domes and louvers, monolithic polycarbonate products are designed and manufactured in a variety of shapes using thermoforming techniques. Some monolithic and polyhedral materials can be cold-curved over curved glazing profiles to suit many applications, such as roof domes, skylights, and roof designs.
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic material, which means that it can be heated, formed, and cooled repeatedly without degrading its structure. Thanks to this property, it is also 100% recyclable.
Aesthetics & Energy Efficiency
Polycarbonate sheets not only increase the strength and flexibility of the design, but also can meet aesthetic visual requirements with a wide range of colors. These colors not only enhance the appearance, but also contribute to light management. For example, in hot climates or on southern facades, white polycarbonate reduces the build-up of solar heat, which helps maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. The specially tinted sheets reduce the brightness of sunlight, which helps to reduce cooling costs in summer.
Polycarbonate sheets can selectively absorb a large portion of the near-infrared (IR) spectrum of sunlight, significantly reducing heat build-up while allowing scattered daylight to pass through. Solar-controlled IR sheet grades help maintain comfortable indoor temperatures and can reduce cooling costs.
Durability and Longevity
Durability is a key factor when choosing building materials. Polycarbonate sheets have excellent strength and durability, maintaining their properties and color for many years, even in harsh environments.
By constructing sustainable buildings, polycarbonate can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy consumption through efficient production, installation, and construction. Multi-walled polycarbonate sheets with IR absorption technology have 15-25% lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions than double-panel glass. These results depend on the local climate, window thickness, building orientation and other factors, highlighting the importance of careful material selection and design.
Savings on installation
When analyzing the durability of a building, the cost of construction is a key factor that cannot be ignored. From transportation to the risk of on-site damage, financial and environmental losses can increase significantly if the wrong material is chosen. Polycarbonate sheets offer more than 50% weight savings compared to glass of the same thickness, and multi-walled sheets offer even greater savings.
The lighter weight leads to significant fuel savings during transport, makes it easier to handle and can reduce labour and installation costs. In addition, lighter sheets require a less extensive support structure (such as glazing sticks), which reduces the use of raw materials.
The ultra-rigid polycarbonate sheet absorbs roof movements caused by thermal expansion, contraction, as well as wind and snow, without the risk of cracking. Even with lengths of up to 12 metres, the material does not require additional support profiles.
Efficient and flexible in design and versatility, polycarbonate sheet meets the requirements for energy-efficient buildings built with sustainable materials. As more architectural challenges arise, the use of polycarbonate sheets is likely to increase and new material innovations will respond to the needs of the industry.
Autor: Tomasz Matuszek; Dział Marketingu - Firma Gulajski