Polycarbonate Price | Current and Forecast
Monitor Polycarbonate Prices Worldwide
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See 4 monthly Polycarbonate price assessments covering 4 locations: United States, Europe, China and Middle East. Also check Polycarbonate price history since 2007 and forecasts. The chart below is a sample of Intratec Primary Commodity Prices - subscribe now and gain access to current prices of 226 commodities, including Polycarbonate.
Data Legend. The Polycarbonate price chart shows the prices in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) as follows:
- US: Polycarbonate, United States, transaction, fob
- EUR: Polycarbonate, Europe, transaction, fob, Netherlands
- CN: Polycarbonate, optical, China, spot, exw
- MDE: Polycarbonate, optical, Middle East, spot, fob, Saudi Arabia
Data Use. Polycarbonate prices are provided as an annual subscription where subscribers have access to reliable pricing data of 226 commodities worldwide. To better understand data provided by Intratec Primary Commodity Prices, check the following documents: Price Assessment Basis , Commodities Specifications , Methodology , User Guide , and Glossary .
Intratec Primary Commodity Prices
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Price Dynamics. The Polycarbonate price in United States was flat during December 2018. On a year-over-year basis, Polycarbonate prices in United States increased modestly by 2%. Meanwhile, in Netherlands, the average price of Polycarbonate amounted to 2,540 USD per metric ton, from 2,810 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the Polycarbonate price in Netherlands is 9% lower than the price one month before.
The price of Polycarbonate in China rose slightly throughout December 2018, reaching 4,270 USD per metric ton. The price in China is 3% higher than the average price in the previous month and 4% lower than the average price one year before. In contrast, Polycarbonate prices in Saudi Arabia decreased modestly during December 2018, reaching 2,360 USD per metric ton, which means a decline of 2% from the previous month’s price and a decline of 17% from the previous year’s price.
About Polycarbonate. Polycarbonate (a.k.a. PC) is a thermoplastic polymer/resin, derived from diphenyl carbonate, phosgene and bisphenol A. The polymer is easily molded and thermoformed, and for that, along with its properties, polycarbonates are among the most used plastics in industry. Polycarbonate has a high impact and dielectric strength, heat resistance, it is noncorrosive and extremely dimensionally stable. Depending on the grade, the resulting material is translucent, so PC has been used as a substitute to glass, although it is not its primary use, due to PC being more expensive than polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic). The main uses of PC are in the construction industry and as engineering materials. Because of their unusual properties (e.g. toughness, clarity), Polycarbonates figure among the top engineering thermoplastics.
These polymers are produced on an industrial scale via two main routes, where one is based on the reaction of an aromatic diol with phosgene in an amine-catalyzed interfacial condensation reaction, and the other involves a base-catalyzed transesterification of a bisphenol with a monomeric carbonate. Commercially, the most important polycarbonate is the one made from bisphenol A, referred to as bisphenol A polycarbonate BPA-PC.
PC is usually transported and stored as sheets. It is not flammable and very little toxic, although it should be kept away from heat sources, since it might decompose into bisphenol A, a potential carcinogen, and others volatile organic compounds (VOCs) dangerous to the environment and to humans.
Polycarbonate is typically manufactured via the interfacial polymerization reaction of phosgene and bisphenol A. Other production processes include a non-phosgene process in which bisphenol A reacts with diphenyl carbonate (DPC). Production pathways may also differ by integrating bisphenol A or DPC production. Raw materials and the respective production processes employed in the manufacturing of Polycarbonate are listed below.
- Bisphenol A + phosgene + sodium hydroxide (interfacial process/polymerization),
- Bisphenol A + diphenyl carbonate (melt process)
The uses and applications of Polycarbonate may vary according to its specification. The main forms of Polycarbonate are general purpose grade; flame retardant; anti-static; film grade (food packing); stress crack resistance; and bullet resistant.
