This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

For similar products offered by other companies, see polycarbonates.

The chemical structure of Lexan

Lexan (LEXAN) is a registered trademark for General Electric's (now SABIC Innovative Plastics') brand of highly durable polycarbonate resin thermoplastic intended to replace glass where the need for strength justifies its higher cost. It is a polycarbonate polymer produced by reacting Bisphenol A with carbonyl chloride, also known as phosgene. Lexan is the brand name for polycarbonate sheet in thicknesses from 0.75 mm (0.03 in) to 12 mm (0.48 in). Applications are mainly in three domains — building (glazing and domes), industry (machine protection and fabricated parts) and communication and signage. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polyesters. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 222 pixelsFull resolution (1964 × 546 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/png) High-resolution black/white . ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 222 pixelsFull resolution (1964 × 546 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/png) High-resolution black/white . ... GE redirects here. ... SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corp) is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. ... Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polyesters. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... This article is about the material. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Phosgene is a highly toxic chemical compound with the formula COCl2. ... Glazing, in architecture, is a transparent part of a wall, usually made of glass or plastic (acrylic and polycarbonate). ... For other uses, see Dome (disambiguation). ...

Discovery

Lexan was discovered in 1953 by GE chemist Dr. Daniel Fox, while working on a wire coating. Dr. Hermann Schnell of Bayer in Germany applied for a U.S. patent on a virtually identical molecule the same year that GE filed for a patent, 1955. Lexan is manufactured by GE Plastics, a unit of General Electric. It is manufactured at several GE plants, the largest being in Mt. Vernon, Indiana; Cartagena, Spain; and Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. GE Plastics is headquartered in Pittsfield, MA. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, started as a chemical engineer in this division in Pittsfield. Dr. Daniel W. Fox and LEXAN polycarbonate (GE Plastics press release, reproduced with permission Dr. Daniel W. Fox (about 1927 - February 15 1989) was a polymer chemist who is often regarded as the father of LEXAN. LEXAN is the flagship product of GE Plastics (a division of General Electric) and... Bayer AG (IPA pronunciation //) (ISIN: DE0005752000, NYSE: BAY, TYO: 4863 ) is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen, Germany in 1863. ... The General Electric Company, or GE, (NYSE: GE) is a multinational technology and services company. ... GE redirects here. ... Mount Vernon is a city located in Posey County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. ... For other places with the same name, see Cartagena (disambiguation). ... Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands. ... For the American illustrator, see Jack Welch (illustrator). ...

Properties

Lexan is similar to polymethyl methacrylate (Plexiglas/Lucite/Perspex) and is commonly described as acrylic in appearance, but is far more durable, often to the point of being described as "bulletproof" (depending on the thickness of the sample and the type of weapon used). Structure of methyl methacrylate, the monomer that makes up PMMA Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or poly(methyl 2-methylpropenoate) is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... Structure of PMMA: (C5O2H8)n Structure of methyl methacrylate Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polymethyl-2-methylpropanoate is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... Structure of PMMA: (C5O2H8)n Structure of methyl methacrylate Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polymethyl-2-methylpropanoate is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... Perspex could mean several things. ... It has been suggested that bulletproof (reliability) be merged into this article or section. ...

Lexan may leach bisphenol A, a chemical that some studies linked to cancer. These studies indicate exposure to low levels of BPA causes a range of serious health effects in laboratory animals.^[1] An expert panel of 12 scientists has found that there is "some concern that exposure to the chemical bisphenol A in utero causes neural and behavioral effects," according to the draft report prepared by The National Toxicology Program (NTP) Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction. For the general adult population, the expert panel found a "negligible concern for adverse reproductive effects following exposures."^[2] Leaching may refer to: Leaching (agriculture) Leaching (chemical science) Leaching (metallurgy) Dump leaching Heap leaching Tank leaching Leaching (pedology) Bioleaching Parboiling, also known as leaching Categories: ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

Usage

Lexan is used in the aerospace industry for aircraft canopies, windscreens and other windows, but can be found in household items, such as bottles, compact discs, and DVDs. Perhaps the most visible Lexan consumer product is the Apple Computer iBook and the iPod; the gleaming white plastic is Lexan. It also is used by Nalgene for their 1-liter wide mouth water bottle, popular with hikers and mountaineers. Lexan is also used by other water bottle manufacturers. Look up aerospace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flying machine redirects here. ... The raised canopy of a Vans RV-7A An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. ... The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, automobile, or motorcycle, is the front window. ... CD redirects here. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... Apple Inc. ... The original Blueberry iBook Clamshell The iBook is a now discontinued line of laptop computers that was developed and sold by Apple Inc. ... iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc. ... Nalgene (sometimes referred to as Nalge Nunc International) is a distributor and manufacturer of plastic laboratory containers that has diversified into the field of containers for outdoor sports. ... Two hikers in the Mount Hood National Forest Eagle Creek hiking Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ... An open crevasse. ...

Lexan is also used in:

• automotive headlight covers to prevent small rocks and stones from breaking headlights bulbs.
• racing cars to replace heavier (and breakable) glass windshields and windows.
• greenhouses for covering.
• the Flexdex skateboards "Clear" models
• for radio-controlled car bodies
• for motorcycle goggles
• Pseudo-brass knuckles
• Radio-controlled helicopter fins and gyro mounts by RDLohr
• Rubik's cube colored tiles from Cubesmith
• Air hockey pucks
• Hockey rink glass
• Nike Bauer Supreme One90 and Supreme One70 ice hockey skates (specifically, the TUUK Lightspeed 2 blade holders)
• Some guitar picks
• An alternative for brass mouthpieces in brass musical instruments.
• All New York City Subway cars, from R110A to newer cars such as R160B feature Lexan as a defense against vandalism.^[3]
• The jars for Blendtec blenders
• Riot shields and the visors of Riot helmets
• The visor in some fencing masks, and in many industrial safety shields and masks.
• Cosmic ray detectors as stacks of 1/4 mil sheets.
• Doors for Pods in WWE Elimination Chamber.
• Lexan is sometimes used as a surfacing for features in terrain parks at ski and snowboard resorts.

Panoramic (wrap-around) windshield on a 1959 Edsel Corsair. ... The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken. ... A standard skateboard An old-school skateboard 1970s surfer print fiberglass skateboard A skateboard is a four wheeled platform used for the activity of skateboarding. ... HPI E-Savage Tamiya Wild Willy Kyosho Mini-Z Monster Team Losi Micro-T A radio-controlled car (R/C car) is a powered model car driven from a distance using a radio control system. ... Categories: Weapon stubs | M e weapons ... Nitro-powered Thunder Tiger Raptor 60 Electric-powered Align T-rex 450SE Radio controlled (RC) helicopters are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training. ... Variations of Rubiks Cubes (from left to right: Rubiks Revenge, Rubiks Cube, Professors Cube, & Pocket Cube (also known as Mini-Cube)). Rubiks Cube is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974[1] by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. ... Bauer is one of the leading manufacturers of hockey equipment, fitness and recreational skates. ... Various guitar picks. ... Times Square–42nd Street station entrance The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority , an affiliate of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The R160B is a class of New York City Subway cars. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Companies. ... Police with riot shields in Seoul, Korea. ... Cosmic rays can loosely be defined as energetic particles originating outside of the Earth. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. ... The Elimination Chamber at New Years Revolution 2006. ...

Lexan in popular culture

• Lexan is often used in the TV show MythBusters to protect the show's hosts and crew from any explosions.

• Many of the clear containers used in the show Good Eats are Lexan containers.

MythBusters is an American popular science television program on the Discovery Channel starring American special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who use basic elements of the scientific method to test the validity of various rumors, urban legends and news stories in popular culture. ... Good Eats is a television cooking show created and hosted by Alton Brown that airs in North America on Food Network. ...

External links

• SABIC IP LEXAN

References