Impact Resistant. Transparent. Durable.
Polycarbonate offers high impact resistance, optical clarity, and durability for applications requiring strength, visibility, and lightweight performance.
Select a form factor to view real-time inventory, pricing, and custom cut-to-size options.
| Short Description | Color | Diameter | Length | Stock | Price | Add to quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC - 0.188" dia x 120 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.188″ | 120″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.188" dia x 96 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.188″ | 96″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.250" dia x 120 Black Rod | Black | 0.250″ | 120″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.250" dia x 120 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.250″ | 120″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.250" dia x 36 Black Rod | Black | 0.250″ | 36″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.250" dia x 96 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.250″ | 96″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.312" dia x 120 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.312″ | 120″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.312" dia x 96 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.312″ | 96″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.375" dia x 120 Black Rod | Black | 0.375″ | 120″ | Out of stock | Contact | |
| PC - 0.375" dia x 120 Natural Rod | Natural | 0.375″ | 120″ | Out of stock | Contact |
Material Overview
PC plastic — polycarbonate — is an amorphous engineering thermoplastic recognized for its extraordinary impact resistance and optical clarity. Unlike glass, polycarbonate absorbs impact energy elastically without shattering, making PC material the standard choice wherever both visibility and impact protection are required simultaneously.
Polycarbonate offers good dimensional stability, moderate heat resistance, and reliable electrical insulation. Its amorphous structure gives it excellent optical transmission for transparent applications and predictable machining behavior for precision parts. PC maintains good mechanical properties over a broad service temperature range and can withstand brief exposures to elevated temperatures better than most standard engineering thermoplastics.
Typical applications include machine guards, sight glasses, instrument panels, electrical enclosures, medical device components, and any structural part requiring both transparency and impact resistance. Ready Plastics PC is available in sheet and rod for fabrication and machining.
Reinforced variants. Where additional stiffness is needed without sacrificing toughness, Ready Plastics also stocks glass-fiber-reinforced grades: PC GF10 — lightly reinforced for balanced toughness and rigidity and PC GF20 — 20% glass-filled for higher stiffness applications. Visit the polycarbonate product page for full stock listings and quote requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
PC (polycarbonate) is an amorphous engineering thermoplastic known for exceptional impact resistance, optical clarity, and good heat resistance. It is widely used for machine guards, sight glasses, instrument panels, and structural components where both strength and transparency are needed.
Unfilled PC offers the best impact resistance and optical clarity. PC GF10 adds 10% glass fiber for improved stiffness while retaining good toughness. PC GF20 uses 20% glass fiber for maximum stiffness — suitable when rigidity matters more than optical transparency or maximum impact resistance. Glass-filled grades are not optically clear.
Yes. Polycarbonate machines well on standard milling, turning, drilling, and sawing equipment. Sharp tooling and moderate feed rates minimize heat buildup. Annealing before precision machining reduces residual stress and improves dimensional stability of finished parts.
Ready Plastics stocks PC in flat sheet and round rod. Contact us or visit the polycarbonate product page for current thicknesses, diameters, and cut-to-size options.
No. Polycarbonate and acrylic are both transparent thermoplastics, but polycarbonate is far tougher — roughly 30 times more impact-resistant than acrylic. Acrylic offers better UV resistance and optical clarity; polycarbonate is preferred wherever impact protection is critical.
Get a quote on cut-to-size sheets and rods, request a full data sheet, or talk to a plastics engineer. We answer in under two hours, M–F 8am–6pm ET.
