Polycarbonate (PC) plastics are a naturally transparent amorphous thermoplastic. Although they are made commercially available in a variety of colors (perhaps translucent and perhaps not), the raw material allows for the internal transmission of light nearly in the same capacity as glass. Polycarbonate polymers are used to produce a variety of materials and are particularly useful when impact resistance and/or transparency are a product requirement (e.g. in bullet-proof glass). PC is commonly used for plastic lenses in eyewear, in medical devices, automotive components, protective gear, greenhouses, Digital Disks (CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray), and exterior lighting fixtures. Polycarbonate also has very good heat resistance and can be combined with flame retardant materials without significant material degradation. Polycarbonate plastics are engineering plastics in that they are typically used for more capable, robust materials such as in impact resistant “glass-like” surfaces.
