Brawn is Beautiful: Bayer MaterialScience Polycarbonate Glazing – A Light Weight, Secure and Aesthetically Pleasing Solution for Architectural Applications

Pittsburgh, PA, August 29, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Building owners and architectural material specifiers are seeking a material that not only provides the daylighting building owners want but also the security protection they need.

Increasingly, they are turning to polycarbonate glazing as a material of choice. Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s polycarbonate provides excellent glass-like properties – with grades that offer translucent color options and feature light transmission rates as high as 90 percent. It is also tough and durable with select grades providing blast- and ballistic-resistance capabilities.

From multiwalled structures to monolithic and laminate solids, Bayer’s portfolio of polycarbonate glazing solutions for the architectural market proves that brawn is beautiful.

Ken Schwartz, marketing manager, Construction, and Karl Wiecking, emerging markets manager, both of Bayer MaterialScience, discussed the benefits of polycarbonate security glazing in their presentation, “Polycarbonate sheet products for safety and security glazing,” during the recent American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Southeast Region 2013 Fall Meeting.

“Polycarbonate sheet has several advantages compared with glass, including superior toughness, lighter weight and the ability to design shapes not possible with glass. Most specifiers don’t realize that polycarbonate can often be directly substituted for glass when security and safety are critical,” said Schwartz.

Additionally, polycarbonate sheets can be supplied with surface coatings that feature excellent chemical and ultraviolet (UV) resistance as well as mar resistance that is 10 times higher than uncoated polycarbonate sheet. Product warranties are available.

Fenestration applications, such as canopies, roofing, building facades, interior glazing, windows, sloped glazing and skylights, all benefit from polycarbonate’s superior combination of properties.

Polycarbonate sheet is also a proven and trusted material to protect schools, commercial facilities, residential and government buildings where safety and security protection are a priority.

“New and emerging protective glazing requirements are including the use of architectural, security-grade monolithic and laminated polycarbonate sheet for anti-vandalism, ballistic protection, forced-entry resistance and blast-hazard mitigation,” said Wiecking. “The unique performance profile of polycarbonate compared to competitive glazing alternatives available in the market makes it an ideal choice for blast-resistant door lites and window applications for enhanced protection of the building envelope.”

Solid polycarbonate sheets’ outstanding properties and toughness when subjected to a range of impact conditions in architectural applications enable specific grades to achieve UL972 rating for Burglary-Resisting Materials. Other Bayer polycarbonate grades have earned certification from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for U.S. government facilities.

About Bayer MaterialScience LLC:
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,500 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2012 sales of 11.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, social responsibility and respect for the environment.