PC – Polycarbonate material
Polycarbonate belongs to the same family of materials as TPU. In the case of PC, carbonate is the building block and is repeated (hence polymer). PC is highly resistant to shock. It is tough, durable, and very clear. You can imagine how tough it is since it’s used in F-22 Raptor’s cockpit covering. Polycarbonate is hard, tough plastic that feels very much like glass without the weight or fragility. Some lenses for spectacles are made of PC.
The problem with PC is that it is non-malleable and not very good at handling scratches. The hard material and difficulty turning it into different shapes made PC a problematic material for making phone cases. We need a material that is soft and malleable enough to act as a phone covering. This diverts us to another material with which cases can be made; Silicone. Let’s look at the pros and cons of silicone.
How the structure of a polymer looks like. The green dots represent either carbon or silicon. This isn’t the actual representation.
Silicone material
Silicone is a soft, rubbery material that is also very popular for making phone cases. The silicone material is thin, contours the phone body. Perhaps the biggest reason why people go for silicone cover is the soft material and great grip it provides. Silicone covers do not add to the bulk of the phone and they are very comfortable to hold. Silicone is also a polymer, the repeating element being silicon (different from silicone). The reason why silicon and carbon are used to make polymer is that they can form four strong covalent bonds.
The cons of silicone material
When compared to TPU or even PC, there are many disadvantages of using silicone material for making mobile covers. The first and most crucial one is its inability to protect the device. Protection from shock (if the phone falls and hits a hard surface) is the primary reason why people get a phone cover. While silicone is good for protecting from abrasions and scratches, there is almost no fall protection.
The other major issue is its durability. Silicone materials are poor lasting. While this material works well at lower temperatures, they are a poor performer at high temperatures. Continuous use (friction) wears them out and the silicone turns gooey and sticky. Not something you want to keep your hands on, especially when your phone also heats.