Comparison
Polycarbonate vs Acrylic (PMMA)
A side-by-side comparison of Polycarbonate and Poly(methyl methacrylate).
Physical
Density
1.20 g/cm³
1.18 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.15 %
0.3 %
Transparency
Transparent (88% light transmission)
Transparent (92%)
Shrinkage
0.5 – 0.8 %
0.2 – 0.8 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
2.3 – 2.4 GPa
3.0 GPa
Tensile Strength
60 – 70 MPa
70 MPa
Flexural Strength
90 – 100 MPa
110 MPa
Impact Strength (Izod)
600 – 900 J/m
20 J/m
Hardness (Rockwell M)
70
—
Elongation at Break
100 – 150 %
5 %
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
147 °C
105 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
115 – 130 °C
80 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
130 – 140 °C
95 °C
Thermal Conductivity
0.20 W/m·K
—
CTE
65 – 70 × 10⁻⁶ /K
—
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
2.9 – 3.0
3.6
Volume Resistivity
10¹⁶ Ω·cm
10¹⁵ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids (dilute)
Good
—
Bases
Poor
Fair
Alcohols
Fair
Poor
Oils
Good
—
Gasoline
Fair
—
Acetone
Poor (attacks)
Attacks
UV Resistance
Poor (unless coated)
Excellent
Acids
—
Good
Sustainability
Recyclability
Recyclable
Recyclable (chemical)
Recycling Code
7
7
Bio-based Content
0 – 50 % (bio grades)
—
Carbon Footprint
~5 kg CO₂e / kg
~5.4 kg CO₂e / kg