Polycarbonate Sheet, Pebble Textured

Pebble-textured polycarbonate carries an embossed pebble pattern that obscures the view through the panel, cuts glare and conceals minor surface scratches. It is used for privacy and partition glazing, shower and bath surrounds, decorative panels, light diffusers and anywhere you want light through but not a clear line of sight. The texture is applied by embossing roll, normally to one face with the reverse left smooth.

As with any texture, the sheet is translucent rather than transparent and no manufacturer publishes a light transmission, gloss or haze figure for the pebble finishes, so we do not quote one - ask for a sample if the look or the light level is critical. Worth knowing that pebble textures are often a made-to-order rather than a stocked finish, so check lead time before you plan around a size.

Mechanical and thermal properties are general-purpose polycarbonate's, measured on untextured sheet: tensile 9,500 psi ultimate on a 340,000 psi modulus, flexural 13,500 psi, compressive 12,500 psi, Rockwell M70 and R118, heat deflection 270F at 264 psi, specific gravity 1.20, and the full impact advantage over acrylic and glass.

One thing to check before you order, and this is distributor practice rather than anything a manufacturer prints. Polycarbonate sheet sold as "1/4 inch" is commonly 0.220 inch, which is the 5.6 mm North American extruded gauge, or 0.236 inch, which is the metric 6 mm gauge - not 0.250 inch. Those are 7% apart in thickness and in weight, and the difference matters wherever the sheet has to fit a frame, a channel or a glazing pocket. The thickness on each listing here is the actual decimal, not the nominal label.

Chemical compatibility and cleaning, which is where most polycarbonate failures start. Clean it with mild diluted dish soap and a soft microfibre cloth, or an ammonia-free glass cleaner. Do NOT use ammoniated glass cleaner - the common blue kind - because ammonia attacks polycarbonate, and the resin maker's own testing shows 0.1% ammonia is enough to do damage in the presence of water. Also avoid abrasive or high-alkaline cleaners, scrapers and squeegees, dry rubbing, and solvent in direct sun. Isopropyl alcohol diluted 50/50 with water handles oil and tar. Acetone, MEK, methylene chloride, chloroform, toluene, xylene and aromatic fuels all attack it, and so do amines and the plasticisers that migrate out of flexible PVC - which is why PVC gasket, tape and cable tie contact is a real failure mode. The important subtlety is that chemical resistance is not a fixed property: stress cracking only develops where the part is in tension, so a cold-bent, over-torqued or tightly framed part will fail with chemicals a compatibility chart calls safe.