In searching old SOC comments on Lexan which I learned is to some extent flexible and can be 'stressed' as a windshield substitute, though it's prone to scratching, whereas Margard is resistant to scratching, but is brittle and can't be stressed... Is there perhaps now an available product that has the attributes of both?
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All plastics haze and yellow eventually. There's a reason everybody uses glass for car windshields.
Not to mention that most, if not all DMV's will (or should) check for the safety glass decal somewhere in a corner of a "real" glass windshield before they'll issue you a registration. This is to protect YOU, since the safety glass is two layers of glass (inner/outer) with a sheet of sticky plastic laminated in between to keep everything together upon impact and glass shatter.
Thanks Stan & Gordon, but I mentioned a "windshield" only as an obvious example of flexibility. I should have said...can be "stressed" much as a windshield
So, back to square one and my original question...
Is there now a polycarbonate that is flexible like Lexan but also scratch resistant?
All windshields must be branded AS -1
All other glass branded AS-2
Let's try this frigg'n request one more time!!
This time please understand, as I've tried to explain, that I'm not referring to substituting plastic for a glass windshield. (I initially used that only as an example of flexibility)
I don't give a rat's-ass about windshields.
I simply want to know if technology has now produced a polycarbonate that is flexible like Lexan, but also scratch resistant like Margard?
I don't believe there is anything commercially available at this time.... I could not locate anything when doing my side curtains....
Like Leon said currently there are no Polycarbonate products in the marketplace that are commercially available that are both flexible and scratch resistant. There are a couple products of Lexan that are manufactured with a built in resin called Lexan DM that supposedly helps scratch resistance more than standard Lexan, very pricey though. Lexan can be slightly bowed or bent but it does not take well to applying a bit of stress and can fracture. Lexan can be heat treated and then bent to shape yet you really have to know what you are doing to work with it, it is easy to ruin a sheet of the product.
My buddies Don and Bill, have an old '71 Firebird that was a former drag car back in the '70's-80's and they bought this thing basically to go play with with their sons doing the driving. Anyway a few weeks ago they replaced all the regular glass except the windshield with tinted Lexan. They used the old hatchback glass which is fairly flat as a buck to form a new Lexan piece for the hatchback... took them awhile and a couple pieces of Lexan to finally get the Lexan heated up enough to slowly bend into position without breaking...Both told me there is a 'bit of a learning curve' in working Lexan.
