Polycarbonate Roofing

Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic material with excellent mechanical, thermal and optical features. Polycarbonate roofing usually is delivered as polycarbonate sheets or polycarbonate panels.

Polycarbonate sheets, polycarbonate panels

Both polycarbonate sheets and polycarbonate panels are made of the same material but have different sizes. Both polycarbonate sheets and polycarbonate panels are lightweight roofing products as the material itself is hollow (contains system of longitudinal cavities).

The polycarbonate properties can be further improved with:

- UV (ultraviolet radiation) filters, usually applied during coextrusion of the roofing panel or sheet;
- special additives reducing the extensive interior heating (greenhouse effect);
- various colors;
- various cavity strauctures. The cavities structure has the huge impact on the flexibility and load capacity of the polycarbonate roofing.

Mechanical properties of polycarbonate roofing

The polycarbonate sheets or panels have very good impact stress resistance parameters (no problems with smaller stones falling on the roof), the impact resistance of polycarbonate is 200 times higher than the impact resistance of glass.

The great on the polycarbonate roofing is the fact that the mechanical properties do not change very much with varying temperature. The polycarbonate panels remain same impact resistant with -5 Celsius degrees as well as +40 Celsius degrees. It´s thermal dilatability is 0,065 mm/(m·K) which, in Europe or Northern America means that the policarbonate sheets can dilate by 3 milimetres per 1 meter of their length (summer/winter dimensions differences).