Black polycarbonate sheet
Opaque, impact-resistant, and used where a guard or cover should not be seen through.
We stock polycarbonate in clear today — black is not on the shelf yet, so there is nothing to order on this page.
Need it now? Send the size, thickness and quantity — we fabricate to order and will tell you straight whether we can source it for your job.
What black polycarbonate is for
Black polycarbonate is specified when the job needs polycarbonate's toughness but none of its transparency: machine guarding that hides the mechanism, equipment housings and back panels, light-blocking baffles, and covers where the inside should stay private. It carries the same impact resistance as clear — it bends and absorbs a hit rather than shattering — with the visual weight of a solid panel.
It is also the honest answer to glare. Where a clear or tinted guard throws reflections across an operator's line of sight, an opaque panel removes the problem entirely, which is why it turns up so often around machinery and in AV and stage equipment.
Thickness works the same as clear: thin sheet for panels and baffles, heavier stock where the sheet spans a distance or takes a real knock.
Available now instead
Black acrylic is in stock now in several thicknesses, and looks the part — but it is brittle by comparison and will crack under an impact polycarbonate would shrug off. Fine for displays and panels; not a substitute for a guard.
Not a laser material. Polycarbonate scorches brown, cuts badly and can catch fire in a laser cutter, whatever the colour. Cut it mechanically — or use acrylic if the part is going in a laser.
Questions
Is black Lexan the same as black polycarbonate?
Yes. Lexan is a brand name for polycarbonate sheet, so 'black Lexan' and 'black polycarbonate' describe the same material.
Can you see through black polycarbonate?
No. Black is fully opaque. If you need to see through it but want to cut glare or heat, smoked (tinted grey) polycarbonate is the one you want.
Should I use black acrylic instead?
Only if impact resistance does not matter. Black acrylic is available now and looks similar, but polycarbonate is dramatically tougher — for guards, shields and anything that might be struck, wait for the polycarbonate or ask us to quote it.