Polycarbonate
Description
A group of thermoplastic polymers containingin carbonate groups (O-CO-O) in their chemical structures. apolycarbonates are strong, tough materials that tend to be easily worked and molded. The are listed as “other” or “7” on the resin identification code (RIC) list.
Polycarbonate is a term that is often applied solely for polycarbonate of bisphenol A.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Brand Names: Lexan (General Electric)
Applications
Personal Risks
Collection Risks
Environmental Risks
- Polycarbonate can form bisphenol A (BPA) in the environment. It is on the watch list of many countries including the United States and Germany.
- Thermal degradation polycarbonates produce phenol and phenol derivatives, known environmental pollutants (Collin 2012, Pollution Database 2017)
Collection Risks
Standard resins alone are not suitable for long-term exposure to UV radiation. They will yellow with long exposure to sunlight.
Working Properties
Can be folded/bent using sheet metal techniques.
Forms/Sizes
Resources and Citations
- Contributions: Molly McGath, AIC Plastics Panel, 2020.
- Hunt, PA; Kara E. Koehler; Martha Susiarjo; Craig A. Hodges; Arlene Ilagan; Robert C. Voigt; Sally Thomas; Brian F. Thomas; Terry J. Hassold (2003). "Bisphenol A Exposure Causes Meiotic Aneuploidy in the Female Mouse". Current Biology. 13 (7): 546–553. doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00189-1. PMID 12676084
- Koehler, KE; Robert C. Voigt; Sally Thomas; Bruce Lamb; Cheryl Urban; Terry Hassold; Patricia A. Hunt (2003). "When disaster strikes: rethinking caging materials". Lab Animal. 32 (4): 24–27. doi:10.1038/laban0403-24. PMID 19753748. Archived from the original on 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- Collin, S.; Bussière, P. -O.; Thérias, S.; Lambert, J. -M.; Perdereau, J.; Gardette, J. -L. (2012-11-01). "Physicochemical and mechanical impacts of photo-ageing on bisphenol a polycarbonate". Polymer Degradation and Stability. 97 (11): 2284–2293. doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.07.036.
"Pollution Database". pollution.unibuc.ro. Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2016-11-14.