Can polycarbonate be used to store a cryogenic liquid for a short duration, let's say 15-20 minutes.
I've heard that PVC will be really brittle at low temperatures.
What I'm trying to do is a rocket and I need a tank to store my LOX. I need it to be something like PVC or polycarbonate because they are light and cheap enough for my purposes. Also, they are often sold for tubing, the shape I need.
Any other suggestions of material will be greatly appreciated.
Short answer is no, as other commenters have suggested. The best solution is a small Dewar flask, which is stainless steel. Depending on how much you need, a commercial Thermos could do in a pinch. (Edit: I saw you want to use this for a tank on your rocket. If you are using it for a tank, there is not much in the cheap+light phase space. Cheap would be stainless and light would be titanium.)
As some unsolicited advice, liquid oxygen is very dangerous and if you are asking this question I would encourage you to read about the hazards associated with it a bit more. In particular, many things that you don't think are combustible will find a way to burn when they are impregnated or in contact with liquid oxygen. (Also, there are the obvious cryogenic hazards as well.)
in designing the flask to hold your LOX, please note that the LOX will slowly warm up as it sits in the flask, and will then pressurize the flask. In addition to preventing heat loss and not being brittle at low temperatures, the flask will also have to be strong enough to withstand pressure buildup inside it without exploding.
