Where Can I Buy Polycarbonate Sheets WORK
Lightweight and durable, our clear polycarbonate sheets are a great alternative to glass and many other clear plastics when you need good transparency plus shatter resistance and high strength. Polycarbonate sheets are perfect for a high level of usage, are incredibly stable, and are great for protection against vandalism, the elements, and more.
where can i buy polycarbonate sheets
Acme offers a variety of polycarbonate panels to meet all of your needs, including products from Covestro Makrolon, Palram Palsun, Polygal Plastics Polygal, and import sheets. Contact us if you have specific brand requirements.
Pricing is highly dependent on the size, thickness and quantity of polycarbonate sheets ordered. Due to this, we encourage you to ask for a quote directly or review our individual products below. For an estimated value of specialty sizes, view our cut-to-size polycarbonate sheet page.
Polycarbonate sheets are inherently flexible and available in a variety of grades based on application. Most polycarbonate sheets are pliable and can be bent at room temperature without cracking. Due to this flexibility combined with its impact resistance (250x stronger than glass), polycarbonate panels are often used for bullet resistant glass, and similar protective gear, exterior architecture, and greenhouses.
While polycarbonate can be dented, it is extremely shatter resistant. In fact, polycarbonate is 250 times stronger than glass and can undergo significant deformations without cracking or breaking. A sheet of polycarbonate can provide impact protection from storms, projectiles like golf balls, and can even be fashioned into bullet resistant glass. Despite its exceptional durability, polycarbonate is far more lightweight than glass.
The polymers in polycarbonate have an exceptionally strong bond to the carbonate groups in polycarbonate's chemical chain. This forms a "crosslink" that is extremely difficult to break. polycarbonate is also very flexible, which allows it to absorb and distribute the impact of powerful projectiles without breaking or shattering. This makes polycarbonate ideal for patios, awnings, and greenhouses.
For the most thorough cleaning, use Novus #1 cleaner and a soft, microfiber cloth. For a simple, routine cleaning, polycarbonate panels should be cleaned using a mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft cloth. Avoid using ammonia-based cleaners such as Windex, 409, and Lysol, or abrasive cleaning products like scrubbing brushes or paper towels. This will damage the UV resistant coating that is present on most polycarbonate sheets. Keep in mind that using non-recommended cleaners often voids the manufacturer's warranty.Does Polycarbonate Scratch Easily?A standard polycarbonate sheet is susceptible to scratching. However, manufacturers have resolved this concern by creating special coatings that protect from most scratches and abrasions. The exact level of scratch protection depends on the chemical composition of the coating. Keep in mind that although polycarbonate can scratch, this will not significantly compromise its ability to resist high impacts and extreme temperatures, especially when compared to acrylic and glass.
Polycarbonate is a hygroscopic engineering polymer, so it can attract and absorb moisture from its surrounding environment at room temperature. However, this isn't an issue for most roofing, greenhouse, and pergola applications. Over its entire lifespan, a polycarbonate sheet will typically absorb only 0.2% of its weight in moisture. Other engineering polymers that are hygroscopic include nylon, ABS, acrylic, PET and more.
The primary difference between polypropylene and polycarbonate is their strength. Polycarbonate has exceptional tensile and flexural strength, while polypropylene provides slightly above average tensile and flexural strength. Polypropylene is also significantly less expensive than polycarbonate.
On a molecular level, polypropylene and polycarbonate are rather similar. They're both synthetic polymer compounds composed of very large molecules that are created by bonding simpler chemical units, called monomers. The primary difference in their structure is caused by the monomers and processes used to create the polymer.
Polycarbonate is a virtually unbreakable thermoplastic patented in 1953 by Hermann Schnell at Bayer. Polycarbonate is impact-resistant at 250 times the impact resistance of glass, can be exposed to high temperatures, and is non-flammable. It is ideal for construction and engineering projects where safety and flammability are concerns.
Multiwall polycarbonate is ideal for windows and siding because it's durable and can withstand high temperatures. It's the choice for greenhouses due to its light transmittance and heat retention properties.
Polycarbonate has a long list of benefits, making it ideal for a variety of purposes. Here are just a few of polycarbonate's amazing features:High Optical Clarity - Polycarbonate is exceptionally clear, and can be mistaken for glass as a result.
Thermal Insulation - Polycarbonate traps heat up to 60 percent better than glass. For this reason, polycarbonate is often used in greenhouses, or in energy-efficient buildings.
Easy to Install - As a durable and lightweight plastic, polycarbonate is simple to install, especially with the help of a frame or a support structure.
Versatile - Polycarbonate can be molded into a wide variety of shapes, including sheets, panels, rods, tubes, and more.
Easy to Shape - Polycarbonate can be cut with standard woodworking tools like a circular saw or jigsaw.
Sustainable - As a thermoplastic, polycarbonate can easily be recycled by heating the plastic until it becomes a liquid, then molding it into a new shape.
Durable, versatile, and easy to work with, polycarbonate panels can be used in hundreds of custom projects. Patio and pergola coverings, skylights, custom greenhouses and other structures. We've even had customers use them for solar cookers and biomass generators. There is no limit to their use.
Polycarbonate provides a number of benefits as a construction material for greenhouses, including high light transmission, thermal insulation, and impact resistance. To ensure you get the right material to create optimum growing conditions in your greenhouse, it helps to have a basic understanding of how the structure, thickness, and color of the polycarbonate affects its light transmission and insulating properties before you buy. Here are a few tips for buying polycarbonate for greenhouses that will help you get the most out of the material.
Structure and thickness affect thermal insulation and light transmission.Polycarbonate comes in both solid sheets and multiwall sheets. Multiwall sheets are typically the material of choice for greenhouses because they provide greater thermal insulation; however, the internal structure of multiwall sheets and the thickness of the material also impact light transmission. Multiwall is available in 2-wall, 3-wall, 4-wall, X, and honeycomb internal structures as shown below. Structures may be chosen to achieve a certain visual aesthetic, but they also come with different ratings for insulation and light transmission.
For greenhouses, light transmission of 80 to 90 percent is considered ideal for growing, though specific crops may have different light requirements. To achieve desired growing conditions, greenhouses are typically constructed of 2-wall polycarbonate because it offers a balance of light transmission and thermal insulation. Other structures, like 3-wall and honeycomb, fall in the 75 percent light transmission range, which may be sufficient for certain plant types or areas where the growing season is longer. Regardless, the general rule is that thicker material provides greater thermal insulation but less light transmission, and thinner material offers more light transmission and less insulation.
The color of polycarbonate sheets also affects light transmission.The standard color for greenhouse polycarbonate is clear, but you may be tempted to select one of the many other colors available to achieve a visual effect. As you may have guessed, adding color to polycarbonate also affects light transmission and is like putting a giant pair of sunglasses on your greenhouse. To understand the effect color has on light transmission, look at this chart comparing clear, opal, and bronze 2-wall, 4mm sheets and their respective light transmission rates.
Enjoy outdoor spaces year round, rain or shine, with the leading corrugated plastic roofing product for DIY & home improvement projects. Whether you're looking for a beautiful covered patio, a storage shed for organizing your garden equipment, or even a chicken coop to provide fresh eggs to your family each day, SUNTUF is a great choice to bring your outdoor spaces to life. These attractive polycarbonate sheets offer a variety of light transmission and color options to fit any style, while also providing maximum impact resistance and a broad service temperature range.
Most Palram polycarbonate products feature a very thin co-extruded layer of UV-resistant resins that protect the entire sheet from UV radiation. In most cases, UV protection is applied to one side. However, two-sided UV protection is available for select products.
Polycarbonate inherently blocks UV radiation by absorbing it and not allowing it to pass through the panel. However, UV also degrades polycarbonate over time. Therefore, Palram adds additional UV protection specifically to protect the sheet, not to block additional UV from getting through the sheet.
To ensure the protection of single-sided UV protected sheets, they must be installed with the marked UV protective layer facing out toward the sun. Although sheet products can also be UV protected on both sides, most of the sheets are protected on one side that is marked clearly.
Some of them do. Rigid PVC and polycarbonate sheets are practically opaque to UV radiation, making them a perfect barrier against this harmful radiation. They actually block UV-A and UV-B radiation better than nearly any sunscreen lotion. 041b061a72