Polycarbonate is an extremely tough crystal-clear plastic. It has very high impact strength and tensile strength. It has relatively poor chemical resistance.

Polycarbonate used to be used for food containers but recent concerns about BPA have reduced its use significantly. The combination of clarity and high impact make polycarbonate an excellent material for eyeglass lenses. It also gets used in many non-clear applications for its impact strength such as for helmets and housings for medical equipment. A lot of polycarbonate gets used in alloys with other materials such as ABS and ASA.

The typical brands of polycarbonate resin offered by Midwest Resins are: