Polycarbonate materials have a unique balance of beneficial features including temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates in between commodity plastics and engineering plastic materials.
Polycarbonate is a very long-lasting material. Although it offers increased impact-resistance, it has got minimal scratch-resistance and so a hard coating is applied to polycarbonate eyewear and polycarbonate exterior auto components. The properties relating to polycarbonate are generally along the lines of those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), yet , polycarbonate is undoubtedly stronger, it is usable in a wider temperature range and is a bit more expensive. This plastic polymer is highly transparent to visible light and has better light transmission characteristics than many different types of glass.
Polycarbonate carries a glass transition temperature of about 150 °C (302 °F), so it softens slowly above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools should be held at warm to high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) to help with making strain- and stress-free products.
Unlike many thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo large changes in basic shape without breaking. Because of that, it is sometimes processed and formed  cold using sheet metal techniques, for instance forming bends with a brake. For even sharp angle bends having a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. This makes it valuable in prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are required, which may not be made from sheet metal. Please keep in mind PMMA/Plexiglas, that is similar in appearance to polycarbonate, but it is brittle and cannot be bent without heating.
Polycarbonate is frequently found in eye protection, and also in other projectile-resistant see through or lighting applications that would normally indicate the use of glass, but require much higher impact-resistance. Many kinds of lenses are manufactured from polycarbonate, including automotive headlamp lenses, lighting lenses, sunglass/eyeglass lenses, swimming and SCUBA goggles, and safety visors for use in sporting helmets/masks and police riot gear. Windscreens in small motorized vehicles are commonly fabricated from polycarbonate, such as for motorcycles, ATVs, golf carts, and small planes and helicopters.