Comparison
PVDC Barrier Film vs Polycarbonate
A side-by-side comparison of Polyvinylidene Chloride for Barrier Films and Polycarbonate.
Physical
Density
1.6-1.7 g/cm³
1.20 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
<0.2 %
0.15 %
Transparency
Good
Transparent (88% light transmission)
Shrinkage
0.3-0.6 %
0.5 – 0.8 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
1.0-1.5 GPa
2.3 – 2.4 GPa
Tensile Strength
30-50 MPa
60 – 70 MPa
Elongation at Break
10-40 %
100 – 150 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
20-40 J/m
600 – 900 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
90 – 100 MPa
Hardness (Rockwell M)
—
70
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
70-80 °C
147 °C
Melting Point
N/A (degrades)
—
Continuous Service Temperature
50-60 °C
115 – 130 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
50-60 °C
130 – 140 °C
Thermal Conductivity
—
0.20 W/m·K
CTE
—
65 – 70 × 10⁻⁶ /K
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.5-4.5
2.9 – 3.0
Volume Resistivity
10¹⁰-10¹² Ω⋅cm
10¹⁶ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
10-20 kV/mm
15 kV/mm
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good resistance
—
Bases
Good resistance
Poor
Solvents
Insoluble in most common solvents
—
UV Resistance
Fair (requires formulation)
Poor (unless coated)
Acids (dilute)
—
Good
Alcohols
—
Fair
Oils
—
Good
Gasoline
—
Fair
Acetone
—
Poor (attacks)
Sustainability
Recyclability
Challenging due to multilayer structures
Recyclable
Recycling Code
3 (PVC) or depends on multilayer
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate to High
~5 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
0 – 50 % (bio grades)