Published April 1969
Polycarbonate resins have been commercially produced for about ten years. Their unique combination of properties have prompted optimistic forecasts of growing demands. This report presents a study of this new engineering plastic.
All fully commercial polycarbonates have been based on bisphenol A, and evaluations are limited to such products. Three general process approaches have been used. Phosgenation in homogeneous solution has been favored by General Electric Company. Interfacial phosgenation has been preferred by Mobay Chemical Company and others. Transesterification has been used by Bayer. Designs and' evaluations are presented for each approach; however, in no case is. it known that the flow diagram corresponds in detail to the preferences of the companies mentioned either in existing plants or plants that might be built in the future. In addition, an evaluation for reprocessing the primary product for improvement of certain properties is presented.
The bases for the designs and costs are given in Appendix A. Some correlations and data on polycarbonate enthalpy, intrinsic viscosity of solutions, and relation of intrinsic viscosity to Fikentscher K value are given in Appendix B in forms that may be convenient for use in other studies.
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