IDES | Search of the Week: Polycarbonate

Febraury 28 - March 5, 2008 - Polycarbonate was discovered in 1898 when a German chemist named Einhorn observed the formation of an insoluble, infusible solid, while preparing cyclic carbonates by reacting hydroquinone with phosgene. It wasn’t until 1953 that Bayer laboratories produced linear thermoplastic Polycarbonate of high molecular weight. In 1957 Bayer and General Electric announced independent development of polycarbonate and in the summer of 1960 both companies began end use production. Today, approximately 75% of the Polycarbonate market is held by SABIC Innovative Plastics (formerly known as General Electric) and Bayer Material Science.

Polycarbonate plastic is a lightweight, high-performance plastic that possesses a unique balance of toughness, dimensional stability, optical clarity, high heat resistance and excellent electrical resistance. Because of these attributes, polycarbonate is used in a wide variety of common products including electronic media like CDs and DVDs, electronic equipment, automobiles, construction glazing, sports safety equipment and medical devices.

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