Jeff Hester, Performance Glazing Market Manager, answers frequently asked questions about performance glazing materials for ballistic protection.
Q. What are clear security, ballistic, and containment-grade sheet materials?
Clear ballistic and containment-grade sheet materials are engineered to provide high-impact resistance, forced-entry protection, and exceptional optical clarity. Available in polycarbonate, poly-to-poly laminates, glass-clad polycarbonate, and cast acrylic, these materials are used wherever visibility and security must work together. Each construction offers unique performance, appearance, and installation advantages, making the choice highly dependent on threat level, aesthetics, and framing constraints.
Q. What are these materials used for?
Security glazing is essential anywhere a higher level of ballistic or containment protection is required. Typical applications include:
Government and embassy facilities
Forced-entry windows and doors
Specialty and military vehicles
These materials are designed to resist bullets, prevent penetration, and reduce hazards like spalling while remaining completely transparent.
Q. What is used to make these materials?
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate offers exceptional impact resistance and is a popular choice for containment protection. It is valued for its ability to reduce or eliminate spalling, the dangerous spray of fragments that can occur on the protected side of a glazing system. Whether used as a stand-alone polycarbonate or in combination with other layers, polycarbonate provides reliable protection and performance.
However, polycarbonate must be installed in a framing system to meet containment requirements. Exposed edges are typically rough and unfinished, and without a frame, the sheet will not reach its maximum containment performance.
Poly-to-Poly Laminates
Poly-to-poly laminates combine multiple layers of polycarbonate to increase strength, reduce spall, and meet higher ballistic standards. These constructions offer strong energy absorption and can be designed for specific threat levels. Like monolithic polycarbonate, poly-to-poly laminates require a full framing system for proper performance.
Glass-Clad Polycarbonate
Glass-clad polycarbonate combines the outer durability and scratch resistance of glass with the energy absorption of polycarbonate. This layered structure disperses bullet impact across multiple materials, improving ballistic stopping power while enhancing UV resistance and surface durability.
Because of its hybrid construction, glass-clad polycarbonate also requires full framing to meet UL 752 and other ballistic specifications. It is ideal for high-traffic areas where improved scratch resistance and long-term clarity are essential.
Cast Acrylic
Cast acrylic is the preferred material when cosmetics and edge appearance are high priorities. It can be polished to a glass-like finish, making it ideal for transaction windows, bank counters, and architectural designs. Acrylic can also be used without full framing, depending on thickness and application, offering more flexibility in installations where aesthetics matter.
However, acrylic has limited ballistic capabilities compared to polycarbonate and glass-clad constructions. It is best suited for lower-threat environments where visibility and appearance are equally important.
Q. What are the differences in standards and performance?
Most ballistic and containment-grade materials are designed to meet UL 752 levels, which determine the projectile type, velocity, and number of shots the material must withstand. Poly-to-poly laminates and glass-clad polycarbonate are commonly used for UL 752 Level 1–3 applications. Acrylic can meet certain lower-level containment or ballistic requirements, but it is not suitable for stopping higher-caliber rounds.
Q. Why buy ballistic and containment-grade materials from Piedmont Plastics?
Piedmont Plastics offers polycarbonate laminates, glass-clad constructions, and cast acrylic solutions for virtually any security glazing need.
Contact us to learn more about available thicknesses, sheet sizes, fabrication options, and material selection for your specific protection level and design requirements.
