Plastic ready to smash glass in vehicle specifications
Untreated, polycarbonate has low physical and chemical resistance. Hence, it needs to be coated with a thin layer of scratch protection, as well as a layer capable of absorbing the UV radiation that would otherwise cause the protective coating to become detached. Such layers have now been developed for polycarbonate headlight lenses which meet all standard European and American regulations except those pertaining to weatherability – and it is hoped that these, too, will soon be met by minor modifications. A feasibility study, moreover, has suggested that there is a very wide range of potential applications for protected polycarbonate beyond the automotive industry. The economic benefits of this new process of protection over existing methods such as lacquering are expected to become more clear-cut as new environmental regulations come into force. And, from an ecological point of view, there can be no doubt that polycarbonate is to be preferred in vehicles to glass due to the reduction in weight and the more aerodynamic designs it permits, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
