Materials / Compare
Brick vs. PCB Laminate FR-4
Compare Brick vs. PCB Laminate FR-4 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA panel to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | not given (tensile used) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 531–621MPasourcetypical: cross direction .. length direction (IPC-TM-650 2.4.4B) |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 21.9–25.8GPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2) |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 1,920kg/m³sourcetypical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 164kN·m/kg67.1x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 12.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.171–0.177sourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 10.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 12.2GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 3,525m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 13–14µm/m·Ksourcetypical, in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth1.87x less | 67.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 1,200–1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1461); another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s3.65x faster | 0.16mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 324W/m |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 180°Csourcetypical, DSC (IPC-TM-650 2.4.25C) |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) |
| Values for | Solid extruded clay/shale brick units (BIA 1993 manufacturer survey, TN 3A 2024); face brick of 130 lb/ft3 for thermal properties (BIA TN 4, from ASHRAE 2013); CTE is the TMS Code value for clay/shale masonry | Isola 370HR FR-4 laminate (Polyclad PCL-FR-370HR, 180 C Tg multifunctional epoxy, E-glass fabric), copper removed; Isola data sheet Revision C, last updated April 15, 2021. Woven-glass laminate: the sheet gives in-plane values per weave direction (length / cross) and the Z-axis CTE separately; the solver is isotropic per material. |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Is Brick stronger than PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against 5.1 MPa for Brick (61.8x).
Which is lighter, Brick or PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter: 1,920 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or PCB Laminate FR-4?
For the same stiffness or strength: PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | PCB Laminate FR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 67.1x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 17x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 8.53x heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, Brick or PCB Laminate FR-4?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 13.5 µm/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.