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Polycarbonate Glass

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Polycarbonate Glass

Glass pergola roof featuring custom tempered glass panels, highlighting durability and modern design.
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What is Polycarbonate?

Explore the adaptability of polycarbonate, a thermoplastic polymer recognized for its robustness and lightweight properties. With a resilience of 200 times greater than traditional glass, polycarbonate has become a go-to material for safety glazing in highly demanding spaces such as schools and hospitals. Beyond its safety application, its adaptability shines in architecture, gracing building facades, skylights, and canopies with design flexibility and versatility. 

Customizable Options for Polycarbonate Glass

At Dulles Glass, we provide tailored solutions to meet your polycarbonate sheet requirements, with options available for customization. Select from thickness choices of 1/8 and 1/4 inch, featuring a cutting tolerance within 1/8. The 1/8 inch option is well-suited for lightweight applications like picture frames or cabinet glass, while the 1/4-inch thickness combines lightness and durability, making it ideal for windows and panels, providing cost-effective protection. Available in both rectangular and square shapes with straight corners, it is perfect for DIY projects requiring design flexibility. Choose your preferred size, confirm your order, and we will perfectly cut your customized selection

Shape

Choose from rectangle or square shapes for your project.

Dimensions

We custom fabricate to the exact measurements provided by you or your dxf file.

Custom glass shower doors with a modern beveled glass edge and elegant table top design, showcasing tempered glass features.

Thickness

Choose to your preference. We offer glass thicknesses from 1/4" or 1/8".

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Tempered glass sheets in various styles, showcasing options for shower doors, table tops, and custom mirrors with beveled glass edges.

What is polycarbonate glass?

Polycarbonate glass, also known as “PC resin” — a thermoplastic polymer that stands out as a versatile material widely used for its exceptional qualities. With a tensile strength 200 times more robust than traditional plastic, it has become a preferred alternative to conventional glass, offering a surface that is harder to break. 

 

Despite its high impact resistance, polycarbonate may have slightly lower scratch resistance than standard glass. It also tends to develop a yellow tint over time with exposure to UV rays unless a specific UV-grade variant is used. 

 

Commonly utilized as safety glazing, its flexibility enables shaping without additional heat through a process known as cold bending, making it both versatile and adaptable for a variety of applications. In its solid form, it can be shaped, easily cut, and drilled, highlighting its adaptability across different industries and settings.

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Interior view of a glass structure showcasing custom glass panels with a modern design, ideal for shower doors, table tops, and mirrors, featuring durable tempered glass and a sleek beveled glass edge.

What is polycarbonate glass used for?

Polycarbonate glass has become essential for various applications due to its virtually unbreakable and vandal-proof qualities. Widely chosen for safety glazing in critical environments like schools, hospitals, public centers, and subways, polycarbonate excels in ensuring strength and resistance to impact. Its adaptability has garnered favor in architecture, offering solutions for natural lighting in facades, interiors, and roofs, with design flexibility allowing for visually striking elements. Its easy-to-modify nature makes it a favored choice for DIY projects such as window and door replacement. 

 

Polycarbonate extends beyond safety applications to everyday household items, automotive use, and architectural elements in commercial settings. Its versatility includes applications such as bullet-resistant windows, technology cases, machinery guards, and UV-grade variants, making it a crucial choice across diverse fields for its resilience and adaptability.

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Curved glass structure under a bright sky, showcasing custom glass solutions.

Is polycarbonate glass unbreakable?

Polycarbonate glass is known for its nearly unbreakable nature, providing a distinct advantage over traditional glass, particularly in terms of safety. With the ability to withstand extreme force during harsh weather conditions, it stands out as a durable and resilient material. Impressively, it is 30 times stronger than Plexiglass and over 200 times stronger than conventional glass. 

 

Its exceptional strength allows it to endure substantial force, making it nearly impervious to breakage. In fact, bullet-resistant varieties of polycarbonate are used in applications such as police shields, safety helmets, and protective screens. Its lightweight nature offers superior strength and facilitates easy transportation and installation in various settings. 

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Which is better tempered glass or polycarbonate?

When comparing tempered glass and Polycarbonate, especially for areas susceptible to vandalism or impact from flying objects, polycarbonate emerges as the superior choice due to its greater strength and durability. Unlike tempered glass which is more susceptible to breakage and damage, polycarbonate panels are a practical and efficient solution that saves time and money and minimizes the risk of potential injuries in these areas and projects. With nearly unbreakable properties, 200 times greater resistance to impact, and the ability to withstand extreme weather conditions, polycarbonate proves itself as a reliable and robust option. 

Tempered glass sheets shatter into small pebble-like pieces when cut or drilled, while polycarbonate provides flexibility. It can be cut easily or drilled without breaking into small fragments. Affordability is an additional advantage, as polycarbonate is more cost-effective than tempered glass. Visit our tempered glass blog to learn more about this other glass type. 

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Curved overhead view of tempered glass panels, showcasing custom glass design suitable for shower doors, table tops, and mirrors with a sleek beveled glass edge.

What are the advantages of polycarbonate?

Polycarbonate glass, also known as “PC Resin”, is a versatile and preferred choice for various applications due to its excellent qualities. Its transparency allows ample light transmission, making it ideal for safety barriers, windows, and see-through shields. Its outstanding resistance to impact renders it virtually unbreakable, making it essential for safety gear such as bulletproof glass, safety goggles, and car headlights. With the ability to withstand high temperatures without warping or melting, it became a prominent material for cookware and LED light covers. Despite its strength, PC resin remains lightweight, making it popular in the aerospace and automotive industries to reduce weight. It can also endure UV rays, making it valuable for applications like greenhouse panels and outdoor equipment covers. These properties make it a versatile and indispensable material in various industries.

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Transparent acrylic barrier on a wooden table in a restaurant setting, highlighting custom glass solutions for safety, ideal for shower doors, table tops, and mirrors.

What are the disadvantages of polycarbonate?

Polycarbonate's transparency allows ample light transmission, making it ideal for safety barriers, windows, and see-through shields. Its outstanding resistance to impact renders it virtually unbreakable, making it essential for safety gear such as bulletproof glass, safety goggles, and car headlights. With the ability to withstand high temperatures without warping or melting, it became a prominent material for cookware and LED light covers. Despite its strength, PC resin remains lightweight, making it popular in the aerospace and automotive industries to reduce weight. It also provides UV protection, making it valuable for applications like greenhouse panels and outdoor equipment covers. These properties make it a versatile and indispensable material in various industries. 

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custom glass panels featuring tempered glass, ideal for shower doors, table tops, and mirrors with beveled glass edge accents

Is polycarbonate stronger than steel?

Polycarbonate panels exhibit remarkable strength, surpassing steel in certain aspects. It stands out as a resilient material with the ability to endure blasts exceeding 900 psi. It is approximately 200 times stronger than steel when considering weight. This unique characteristic allows polycarbonate to absorb impact energy flexibly and swiftly return to its original shape. It has a higher tensile strength and thermoplastic nature while steel tends to dent upon impact. Despite these key features, polycarbonate is not universally superior to steel. It falters when rigidly held, as seen in situations involving bolting. Deciding between polycarbonate and steel ultimately depends on the specific needs required for a particular application.

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Polycarbonate vs Plexiglass

PolycarbonatePlexiglass
Cutting and ShapingDoesn't break when drilled and can be bent without heating (cold bending).Can be polished effectively using either mechanical or flame polishing.
Optical ClarityLess transparent than plexiglass and resembles glass in its see-through quality.Excellent transparency and clarity
Impact Resistance250 times more impact-resistant than glass10 times more impact-resistant than glass
WeightLighter than regular glass and PlexiglassLighter than regular glass
CostMore expensive than acrylic/plexiglassLess expensive than polycarbonate
Scratch ResistanceEasier to scratch, and minor scratches cannot be polished awayMore resistant to scratches
ApplicationsIdeal for high-impact applications like safety shields, machinery guards, and bulletproof windowsWidely used for signage, DIY picture frames, sneeze guards, and other low-impact applications
UV ResistanceNaturally UV-resistantMay degrade over time in prolonged sunlight
Temperature ResistanceMore heat-resistant, suitable for outdoor useSensitive to high temperatures and may warp
DurabilityLess rigid than acrylic/plexiglassmore rigid and cracks easier than polycarbonate
Chemical ResistanceHighly resistant to different kinds of acids, oxidizing agents, oils, wax, and chemicals.It withstands exposure to inorganic chemicals, fats, oils, diluted acids, and concentrated alkalis at room temperature.
Helpful Resources for Polycarbonate Glass

Help & Installation Videos

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More Helpful Tips

From how to clean table tops to unique DIY projects for tables with glass tops. We have a collection of helpful tips for you!

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Dulles Glass is your online retailer for custom-cut glass, mirrors, and shower doors. We fabricate your glass your way, ship it to you free of charge nationwide, and provide our professional installation service in limited geographic areas.

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