---
title: "Polycarbonate — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Polycarbonate has a density of 1,200 kg/m³. Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/polycarbonate/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Polycarbonate

**Density of polycarbonate: 1,200 kg/m³**

1.20 g/cm³ · 74.9 lb/ft³

The toughest common transparent plastic by a wide margin: acrylic of the same thickness shatters where polycarbonate deforms and springs back, which is the entire reason safety glazing is polycarbonate. It is amorphous, so no melting point — it softens above its glass transition around 147 °C. The trade-off against acrylic is surface hardness: polycarbonate scratches easily and yellows in UV unless it carries a hard coat, which is why old greenhouse sheet goes cloudy.

## Properties

- **Density:** 1,200 kg/m³ — 1.20 g/cm³
- **Tensile strength:** 60–70 MPa
- **Young's modulus:** 2.3 GPa
- **Thermal conductivity:** 0.2 W/(m·K)
- **Thermal expansion:** 65 µm/(m·K)
- **Floats in water:** No
- **Magnetic:** No

## What it is used for

- Safety glasses and face shields
- Riot shields and machine guarding
- Greenhouse and canopy glazing
- Headlamp lenses

## How it compares

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.*

- air: 1.2 kg/m³
- expanded polystyrene foam: 20 kg/m³
- rigid polyurethane foam: 40 kg/m³
- Water — the float line: 1,000 kg/m³
- polycarbonate: 1,200 kg/m³
- tungsten: 19,250 kg/m³
- gold: 19,300 kg/m³
- platinum: 21,450 kg/m³

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| Material | Density | Relative to water |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| polycarbonate ← | 1,200 kg/m³ | 1.20× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

Polycarbonate contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.

## Is it magnetic?

Polycarbonate is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Common questions

### What is the density of polycarbonate?

1,200 kg/m³, or 1.20 g/cm³.

### Does polycarbonate float?

No. At 1,200 kg/m³ it is denser than water.

### Is polycarbonate magnetic?

Polycarbonate is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Related pages

- [Does polycarbonate float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/polycarbonate/)
- [PLA](https://atoneplace.net/material/pla/)
- [ABS](https://atoneplace.net/material/abs/)
- [Acrylic (PMMA)](https://atoneplace.net/material/acrylic/)
- [Polypropylene](https://atoneplace.net/material/polypropylene/)
- [PTFE](https://atoneplace.net/material/ptfe/)
- [Rigid PVC](https://atoneplace.net/material/pvc-rigid/)
- [HDPE](https://atoneplace.net/material/hdpe/)
- [Epoxy resin](https://atoneplace.net/material/epoxy-resin/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)