Comparison
rPS General Purpose vs Polycarbonate
A side-by-side comparison of Recycled General Purpose Polystyrene and Polycarbonate.
Physical
Density
1.04-1.06 g/cm³
1.20 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.03-0.05 %
0.15 %
Transparency
Good to Excellent
Transparent (88% light transmission)
Shrinkage
0.5-0.8 %
0.5 – 0.8 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
2.8-3.5 GPa
2.3 – 2.4 GPa
Tensile Strength
40-55 MPa
60 – 70 MPa
Elongation at Break
1-4 %
100 – 150 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
10-20 J/m
600 – 900 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
90 – 100 MPa
Hardness (Rockwell M)
—
70
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
90-100 °C
147 °C
Melting Point
N/A (amorphous)
—
Continuous Service Temperature
60-70 °C
115 – 130 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
80-90 °C (0.45 MPa)
130 – 140 °C
Thermal Conductivity
—
0.20 W/m·K
CTE
—
65 – 70 × 10⁻⁶ /K
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
2.5-2.7
2.9 – 3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^16-10^18 Ohm·cm
10¹⁶ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-20 kV/mm
15 kV/mm
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good resistance
—
Bases
Good resistance
Poor
Solvents
Poor resistance to aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons
—
UV Resistance
Poor
Poor (unless coated)
Acids (dilute)
—
Good
Alcohols
—
Fair
Oils
—
Good
Gasoline
—
Fair
Acetone
—
Poor (attacks)
Sustainability
Recyclability
Recyclable (check local facilities)
Recyclable
Recycling Code
6 (PS)
7
Carbon Footprint
Lower than virgin PS
~5 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
0 – 50 % (bio grades)