Polycarbonate

Intro

Polycarbonate is a polymer of carbonate (–O–(C=O)–O–) containing molecules and is a versatile plastic. Polycarbonates have good optical and extrusion properties. Polycarbonate can be produced from a variety of monomers of synthetic or organic origin. Current industrial production is based up bisphenol-A (BPA), but there are concerns released monomers act as an endocrine disrupter. Other sources derived from fluoroaliphatic compounds, or alcohol and esters are also possible and organic monomers would allow local production of feedstocks. Sugars have been incorporated into polycarbonates and high performance bio-polycarbonates are starting to be produced. Research and development of an open source process for polycarbonate production from local feedstocks would benefit the OSE product ecology.

R Value

• 1.5 for twin wall, 6 mm, and 1.7 for 8 mm, compared to 1 for glass. R=3 for five-wall polycarbonate. [1].
• 1.9 for twin wall, 10 mm.

Patents

• http://www.google.com/patents/US4306947

Patent for the production of carbonates from a B-fluoroalcohol, carbon monoxide, a group VIIIb, an electrolyte containing bromide, chloride, or iodide ion and a direct electric current.

• http://www.google.com/patents/US4217438

Patent for the production of polycarbonate from a B-fluoroaliphatic carbonate with a polyfunctional alcohol or phenol. This reaction uses the basic properties of the B-fluoroaliphatic carbonate to catalyze the reaction. Previous methods used base catalyst for polymerization of aliphatic carbonic acid, or aromatic disesters with multifunctional alcohols.

• http://www.google.com/patents?id=ApscAAAAEBAJ

Patent for the production of low weight polycarbonates from sugars suitable for use as lubricating and refrigerant oil.

• http://www.google.com/patents?id=CAo0AAAAEBAJ

Patent dealing with improved mold release of polycarbonate

• http://130.34.101.249/english/report/repo1997/97c02.pdf
• http://www.poly.edu/grossbiocat/_doc/publication/Macromolecules%202003,%2036,%209804-9808.pdf

Sourcing

Multiwall

• Regal Plastics - [2]

• They carry 35 mm plastic - [3]
• Standard is 6 mm

• $2/sf - [4]
• $1.8/sf - [5]
• $1.5/sf - [6]. Price here is the same for 8 mm, and $2 for 10 mm, $3 for 16 mm, and $5 for 25 mm (triple wall).