Polycarbonate Prices | Historical and Current
Monitor Polycarbonate Prices Worldwide
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Monitor monthly Polycarbonate price assessments covering 3 locations: United States, Europe and China. Also check Polycarbonate 10-year price history.
The chart below is a sample of Intratec Primary Commodity Prices. Subscribe and access now current prices of 224 commodities, including Polycarbonate.
Data Legend. The chart above shows Polycarbonate price assessments in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) in 3 locations, as follows:
- Polycarbonate, US (United States): Polycarbonate, export transaction price, fob, United States
- Polycarbonate, EUR (Europe): Polycarbonate, export transaction price, fob, Netherlands
- Polycarbonate (Optical), CN (China): Polycarbonate (optical), domestic spot price, exw, China
Data Use. Polycarbonate prices are provided as an annual subscription where subscribers have access to reliable pricing data of 224 commodities worldwide. Intratec's methodology employs a structured big data strategy that utilizes advanced technologies to extract publicly available data from primary sources such as governmental trade records, statistics bureaus, and international agencies. This data is then processed through mathematical models to generate reliable assessments, published at the very beginning of each month. To better understand the data provided check Intratec Primary Commodity Prices Methodology .
Data Delivery Methods. Polycarbonate price assessments are available via different delivery methods: (i) online charts; (ii) directly into Excel (using Intratec Add-in); (iii) in Power BI dashboards or (iv) a web API (to facilitate integration with existing workflows).
Intratec Primary Commodity Prices
Track global current prices of 224 commodities including Polycarbonate
Current Monthly Prices
Price History & Forecasts
Prices in Multiple Countries / World Regions
Prices Directly In Excel
Plans Starting at $299 USD /year
Polycarbonate Price Outlook. The price of Polycarbonate (United States) decreased during November 2019 to 2,750 USD per metric ton, which represents a considerable decline of 8% compared to the previous month’s value. On a year-over-year basis, the prices of Polycarbonate (United States) decreased significantly by 12%. Meanwhile, the average price of Polycarbonate (China) amounted to 2,040 USD per metric ton, from 4,130 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the price of Polycarbonate (China) is 12% lower than the price one month before.
The price of Polycarbonate (Europe) rose considerably throughout November 2019, reaching 2,630 USD per metric ton. The price is 10% higher than the average price in the previous month and 6% lower than the average price one year before.
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.
Polycarbonate Handling. 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 Production. 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)
Polycarbonate Uses. 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.
