Industry-leading coatings/coated products manufacturer Diamond Coatings supply a wide range of polycarbonate coatings & coated polycarbonate products. But what are polycarbonates and what coatings can be applied? Read on to find out…
What are Polycarbonates?
Containing carbonate groups within their chemical structure, polycarbonates are a tough, strong and easy to work, thermoform, mould and coat group of durable thermoplastic polyesters.
In addition to excellent optical properties, polycarbonates offer outstanding impact and temperature resistance, with respective lower and upper working temperatures of −40° F (−40° C) and 239° – 266° F (115° –130° C).
Polycarbonates come in a diversity of different grades including, among others, flame retardant and highly transparent (to the visible light range) grades.
Boasting characteristics comparable to those of PMMA (acrylic, polymethyl methacrylate), yet stronger and able to withstand extreme temperatures for longer than acrylics, polycarbonates have an excellent balance of useful properties (see Images 1 – 6) that makes them the perfect substrate for an extensive range of applications across all industries.
Polycarbonate Coatings
Combining innovative ideas and years of experience with high-tech manufacturing facilities, Diamond Coatings boast a flexible substrate handling system that enables us to coat a diversity of flat, shaped & injection moulded polycarbonates with a diversity of high-quality coatings including:
- ITO (Diamox & Diamox+) Coatings
- Diamond AR Anti-Reflective Coatings
- ITO Coatings for Anti-Static (Transparent) Applications and
- Diverse Special Optical Coatings
As polycarbonates somewhat lack in scratch resistance in comparison to glass or acrylic substrates, we also offer hard coat/anti scratch coating options that render the harness of polycarbonates almost equal to that of glass – making them the ideal alternative to glass for many applications of a ‘more robust’ nature.
The diversity of available coating options makes polycarbonates the perfect material for applications including, among others:
- Anti-Vandal Touch Panels/Screens (i.e. Public Information Displays, ATMs, etc.)
- Art Exhibitions/Gallery Displays and Aviation/Naval Hanger/Cargo Areas Lighting
- Bullet Resistance Lamination and Control Panels for Agricultural Equipment
- Control/Command Screens, Electronic Automobile and Electronic/Opto-Electronic Displays
- Exterior Lighting Fixtures, External Information Displays and Eye Wear Lenses
- Flight Decks/Flight Deck Equipment, Industrial Control Screens and Security Camera Domes
- Large Portable Generators’ LCD Display Panels and Shielding Filters (EMI/RFI)
- Medical Manufacturers/Food Processing Display & Control Screens
- Military Ground Vehicles/Marine/Boat Windows and Transparent ITO Heaters
- Picture Framing, Display Cases/Cabinets and Retail/Poster Displays
- Advertising and Touch (Capacitive/Resistive) Panels/Screens
We designed many of our polycarbonate coatings specially to match customer-specific applications and their relevant physical, electrical & optical requirements and are happy to recommend/design the most viable solution/s to match your application’s specific needs.
Give our technical team a call on +44 (0) 121 550 9430 or +44 (0) 8451 360 603 now to learn more.
