Comparison
rHDPE PCR Colored (Blue) vs Polycarbonate
A side-by-side comparison of Recycled High-Density Polyethylene Post-Consumer Recycled Colored (Blue) and Polycarbonate.
Physical
Density
0.940-0.965 g/cm³
1.20 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.01-0.03 %
0.15 %
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent (88% light transmission)
Shrinkage
1.5-3.0 %
0.5 – 0.8 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
0.9-1.5 GPa
2.3 – 2.4 GPa
Tensile Strength
20-35 MPa
60 – 70 MPa
Elongation at Break
200-600 %
100 – 150 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
10-25 J/m
600 – 900 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
90 – 100 MPa
Hardness (Rockwell M)
—
70
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
-120 °C
147 °C
Melting Point
125-135 °C
—
Continuous Service Temperature
60-80 °C
115 – 130 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
40-50 °C (0.45 MPa)
130 – 140 °C
Thermal Conductivity
—
0.20 W/m·K
CTE
—
65 – 70 × 10⁻⁶ /K
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
2.25-2.35
2.9 – 3.0
Volume Resistivity
>10^15 Ohm·cm
10¹⁶ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-25 kV/mm
15 kV/mm
Chemical resistance
Acids
Excellent
—
Bases
Excellent
Poor
Solvents
Good resistance to most organic solvents at room temperature
—
UV Resistance
Moderate (can degrade with prolonged UV exposure)
Poor (unless coated)
Acids (dilute)
—
Good
Alcohols
—
Fair
Oils
—
Good
Gasoline
—
Fair
Acetone
—
Poor (attacks)
Sustainability
Recyclability
Highly Recyclable
Recyclable
Recycling Code
2 (HDPE)
7
Carbon Footprint
Significantly lower than virgin HDPE
~5 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
0 – 50 % (bio grades)