1/16" Black polycarbonate sheet
Opaque, impact-resistant, and used where a guard or cover should not be seen through.
Black polycarbonate sheet, cut to your exact size from 12" to 48" per side. Pick a standard size or enter custom dimensions, add flame- or diamond-polished edges, and see the price instantly — no quote for straight cuts, no minimum order. Note: polycarbonate should not be laser cut.
- High impact strength — far tougher than acrylic
- Standard-grade virgin polycarbonate, fully opaque
- 6 thicknesses, 1/16"–1/2"
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.
Why 1/16" specifically
At 1/16" polycarbonate is a thin, flexible sheet that still refuses to shatter — it will bend right around a curve and spring back. That makes it the choice for lightweight glazing, machine-guard windows in a frame, protective facings, and template or gasket work where a thin sheet has to survive handling. It is not a self-supporting panel: unframed and unsupported it will flex under its own weight over any real span.
Do not cut polycarbonate in a laser
Polycarbonate absorbs the beam instead of cutting cleanly: it scorches brown along every edge, melts and re-welds, gives off fumes you should not breathe, and can catch fire. It also coats the optics. This is true of every laser and every thickness — CO2 and diode alike, and it is not a settings problem.
Cut polycarbonate mechanically — saw, router or shears — or tell us the finished size and we will cut it for you. If the part is going in a laser, you want acrylic instead; the craft & laser range is set up for exactly that.
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 looks similar, but polycarbonate is dramatically tougher — for guards, shields and anything that might be struck, choose the polycarbonate.