> Regarding the Polycarbonate:
>
>
> I have a faint remembrance from a previous job, that Polycarbonate is
> not very resistant against solvents like Acetone, Alcohol. Is that
> correct?
>
>
> Regard
>
>
> Guenter

Guenter,

You're right. Polycarbonate is an amorphous polymer and amorphous polymers are
attacked by solvents and such like. The trouble is a plastic has to be
amorphous to be transparent therefore, unless you go for something really
exotic, anything transparent will be susceptible to chemical attack.

However, it's got to be kept in perspective. I know polycarbonate has been used
for windows in steel mills, CD's (the disc not the box), automotive
displays.....

Perspex, the other contender is otherwise known as Plexiglass or PMMA. It too
has poor resistance to solvents and, most of the time, is more brittle than
Polycarbonate. However it is widely used - cockpit canopies would be one
relevent application.

So, to sum up. If you're going to use a transparent thermoplastic then you
shouldn't run into too many problems unless someone throws a bucket of petrol
over your equipment or does something else that would make you wince. On
balance polycarbonate is the better choice for instrument panels though perspex
wouldn't be a disaster either.

Regards,



Eric Christison

################################################################
TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c
################################################################
To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body:
To subscribe:   SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name>
To unsubscribe:   SIGNOFF TechNet 
################################################################
Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information.
For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312
################################################################