What is a cheaper alternative to polycarbonate sheets?

I'm looking for a material to cover an uninsulated wall that is both durable and translucent enough to diffuse sunlight inside.

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Polycarbonate sheeting looks like the best material for the job but is expensive and not easy to find. Plexiglass, acrylic etc. also seem expensive for how long it seems to last given some reviews. What should I be looking for?

With just a quick look at a polycarbonate product and an acrylic one, it&#;ll be pretty difficult to tell these two materials apart, but at a deeper chemical level, their differences become a lot clearer. These plastics excel in different areas when it comes to their characteristics, and while both are abundant in automotive, consumer, and building industries, knowing what makes them different will help you manufacture a better product. Learn more about acrylic and polycarbonate in our brief breakdown below. 

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What is Polycarbonate?

Plastic often has a reputation for being cheap and relatively easy to break, which isn&#;t fully true for polycarbonate. Although it is indeed a rigid plastic, its strength is capable of standing strong against bullets, holding heavy objects without buckling, and handling drops or falls. Polycarbonate has a pretty high melting point (around 295 °C), and it&#;s not one to break and crack under stress, unlike other thermoplastics out there. It&#;s an amorphous material, which means it&#;s not very crystalline and its chemical compounds don&#;t have a structured chain &#; making it easy to mold, shape, and remain intact. To give you an idea of what it looks like, you can see a Xometry &#;X&#; below that was 3D printed in polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate is a common replacement for materials, like silicate glass, because it tends to be stronger and cheaper. Because of its ability to stay clear without deforming, it&#;s a great optical choice. It&#;s also popular for a variety of different manufacturing processes, whether you&#;re interested in injection molding or cutting sheets.

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