Routes to New Aromatic Polycarbonates with Special Material Properties

Polycarbonate together with the acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene copolymers, and the poly amides constitute the leading groups of engineering thermoplastics; for polycarbonate in particular, continued dynamic growth is prophesized. The underlying reason for this lies not only in its outstanding combination of technical properties and excellent price/performance balance, but also in the chemical and physical potential inherent in the basic structure of polycarbonate. The following review demonstrates with examples how this potential can be used in the development of new polycarbonates through the incorporation of alternative monomers, changes in the linear structure, end group variation, addition of special additives, and blending. The main emphasis of this articles lies in the development of polycarbonates resistant to high temperature, with a good balance of technologically valuable properties. For scientific and practical interests a new criterion is offered for polycarbonates having both high‐temperature stability and impact strength. “One must not only make a discovery, but also realize that a discovery has been made.” Hermann Schnell [1] How the chemical and physical potential of the polycarbonates can be optimally exploited to produce high‐performance plastics is described in this review. Important design principles, starting with the standard polycarbonate 1, are incorporation of other monomers or end groups, creation of branching, doping with additives, and formation of blends with other thermoplastics.