Polycarbonate plate - inexpensive alternative to glass made of plastic

When it comes to transparent or translucent surfaces for your home, the polycarbonate plate is a very reasonable choice. The glass materials dominate on the market and have often set the standard when choosing. The high costs, the weight and the low impact capacity of the glass, as well as the amount of energy required for the production, limit its area of ​​application. For this reason, the polycarbonate plate made of plastic is a popular replacement for this, as you can eliminate many disadvantages.

Macrolone slices in the cut or stitch slabs can be used as acrylic glass walls and room divider, as well as modern wall cladding made of plexiglass. The polycarbonate plate is light, durable and in most cases also inexpensive. It is available everywhere and does not require any special tools or specialist knowledge for installation. However, not all plastics can meet the strict requirements and the quality that our houses and apartments need, especially when it comes to external applications. An exception, however, is the polycarbonate plate, which was made of a comparatively new schedule that was patented by Bayer in 1953.

Properties of polycarbonate plate

Polycarbonate is widespread because it is affordable, extremely strong and adaptable to a variety of applications. This composition is also used for glasses and at the nuclear mobile and aviation industry. Furthermore, polycarbonate is a component in the production of DVDs and electronics in general. Due to the extrusion of the material into complex shapes, the manufacturers have found a way to increase the strength of the material and increase its thermal properties. This makes the polycarbonate plate a cheap but also useful alternative to glass. So if you are looking for such a variant, you will find a detailed insight into the material and its use here.

What is polycarbonate?

These plates are made of structured, multi-walled plastic, which you can apply instead of glass in your indoor and outdoor area. The finished product looks like a translucent ice sandwich. The inner and the outer layers are connected by ribs that create channel -like grooves. This inner structure is similar to an I-profile and gives the polycarbonate plate stability and special temperature-resistant properties.

Available sizes

Since it is extruded, you can buy the material in almost any length. The standard is between 7 and 10 meters. Longer leaves are also available, but the restrictions when transporting outweigh the advantages in such cases. Standard widths are 1 to 2 meters, and the larger the polycarbonate plate, the less effort you need for installation. Thanks to the low weight, polycarbonate slices can also be handled slightly at the place of work.

The thickness of a polycarbonate plate can vary between 4 mm and 32 millimeters or higher, whereby there are also 16 mm stews. The range of 6 to 10 millimeters is probably the most common variant. For partitions for interiors and non -carrying areas of application, you can use 4 to 8 millimeter thick polycarbonate plate. External cladding typically begin at 8 mm and increase in thickness depending on the load and support available. The change in the layer thickness and the alignment of the inner cannelers (supportive grooves in pillars) can significantly influence the strength and quality of the insulation.

composition

According to the data sheet, the polycarbonate plate is approximately 200 times stronger than the glass plate and weighs a fraction of its weight. This means that the fastening is relatively simple and you can noticeably minimize the need for structural elements. These advantages work quite well with the visual lightness of the material.

Available colors

Although polycarbonate is available in a variety of colors, the standard colors are translucent white, opal and bronze (tinted). Gray and bronze colors help to control solar heat generation, while translucent colors bring a very diffuse daylight into the interior. These are ideal for interior areas that indirectly need. In addition, they fit in greenhouses in which the stray light helps the plants to use more foliage for photosynthesis. Another possible method of manufacturing can make polycarbonate UV constant.

The standard form

The variety of configurations for wall cladding is available almost everywhere with the help of double -layer plates made of plexiglass. The standard double wall occurs most frequently, the basic structure of the panel is formed on the basis of an inner and an outer polycarbonate plate and vertical ribs. This creates a roughed look.

With most panels with a thickness of more than 8 mm, a third layer is added between the grooves. A cut with higher static requirements usually has a cross -drain that connects neighboring grooves. This creates an inner network of struts and increases the strength and the tensioning drive. The vertical ribs and the corrugation give the polycarbonate plate their distinctive appearance.

You can use a translucent polycarbonate plate primarily for roofing. With the help of roof slabs, for example, you make a possible accumulation of leaves and other deposits less visible. For theBuilding the roofingThe selection of a light material is very important because it enables the support structure to remain thin and invisible. Macrolon and Sunlite are some of the trade names under which the product is generally known. Each manufacturer has a similar range of available extrusions and thicknesses. Some of them offer proprietary designs and coatings to improve performance.

Visible light transmission

If polycarbonate remains untreated, the amount of light that leaves it through is in principle very large. Coatings and coloring can reduce the degree of the stunning light, whereby the area of ​​a thin, clear film is about 80 %. In comparison, a gray -tinted, cross -strived format has 14 percent of the visible light through. Daylight is not the only thing that can affect our comfort in a room. The invisible spectrum is also important, which we have spread about some information in the next lines.

Temperature resistance

Standic plates contain an inner airspace that has its more suitable features compared to insulating glass. This results in a value of approx. 4 to 35 millimeters. The actual statements naturally depend on both the extrusion bubble shapes and the specific coatings. In any case, this is only moderately thermally efficient and competes with conventional insulating glass windows to a fraction of the costs. Some manufacturers have provided the internal structure with a translucent type of insulation using Aerogel. The thickest wall cladding thus achieve impressive lighting impermiability.

Heat recovery

To eatExterior wall with glazingThe possibility offers to insert large amounts of heat into a structure, it is important to also take these properties into account when buying the product. A low value means less heat supply. Special coatings were developed to reduce the percentage of heat that occurs on the surface. However, these influence the total costs of a polycarbonate plate.

Other information

Since the material for the polycarbonate plate is translucent, you must consider the support structure and all the material behind it. This includes structural elements, bolts, blocks, fastenings, wiring, pipelines and insulation. The infrastructure can either be neat or terribly chaotic, depending on the care that you invest in it. You can expose the modest beauty of a building in its silhouette based on the polycarbonate plate.

If you prepare a pattern during the ENR throw and before construction, make sure that you can fix any problems early. There is a considerable difference in the way the wall will look at different cladding. Metal bolts are ideal for this.

Fastening

Each manufacturer offers different profiles to attach the polycarbonate plate to the structure and connect with other panels. The simplest method is the use of prefabricated bracket plates made of strand -pressed aluminum or polycarbonate, similar to cladding during drywall. Poeted screws fix the sheets on the profiles and the support structure. In the case of more complex and weatherproof installations, durable aluminum frames are used that are similar to the facades. You can even glaze the multi -walled panels in frame for aluminum roof windows.

Before installing the polycarbonate plate into the frame, you need to glue the corrugated ends with a special band. This adhesive tape is either firm or ventilated, depending on the position of the plate (wall or roof). User -defined options are also possible. A steel frame construction was used in the project shown above to attach the panels to the counter. There are systems that replace vertical fastening elements with an integrated seal. These save installation time and improve the thermal performance of the system. Stand folding with interlocking corrugated plates is similar to such systems.

UV constant polycarbonate plate

When using outdoors, the material should either be coated with an integrated UV-stabilizing component (called coextrusion) or after production. This stops yellowing and prevents it from becoming fragile over time. Coats usually exceed such additives. Most polycarbonate plates have an outdoor area that must be aligned to the outside in order to serve as an additional UV protection.

Avoid condensation

As with any material for the outdoor area with minimal light permeability, you must also be able to handle the condensation with this product. Since the air layer of the polycarbonate plate has a low temperature, excess moisture condenses in a room accordingly on the surface of the plastic. Anti-fitting coatings can prevent condensation from dripping on plants or people in the corresponding room. Panels that are used in an external application must be installed so that the channels are vertically aligned for proper drainage.

In view of the considerable temperature resistance of polycarbonate and the low costs, it is possible to design affordable, bright outer walls. Diverse, or multi-wall panels can form both the inside and the outside and enclose a powerful, transculent insulation such as aerogel. This would maximize the temperature resistance of the polycarbonate plate, while it maintains its light -loving properties. This special example proves how wonderful the effect can be.