Materials / Compare
Concrete vs. PCB Laminate FR-4
Compare Concrete 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 sourced | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) |
| Compressive strength | 27.6MPasourcespecified compressive strength class (f'c), not a measured typical | 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 | 2,240–2,400kg/m³sourcerange for normalweight concrete | 1,920kg/m³sourcetypical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR |
| Strength to weight | not sourced | 164kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 12.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.15–0.2sourcegeneral range at normal ambient conditions (overall 0.11-0.32) | 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 | 0.9W/m·Ksourcetypical (comparative value) | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet |
| Thermal expansion | 8–12µm/m·Ksourcetypical range for portland cement concrete (aggregate dependent) | 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 | 50µm growth35% less | 67.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 900J/kg·Ksourcetypical (NIST guidance for thermal analysis) | 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) | 0.431mm²/s2.69x 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 | 65°Csourcecode long-term temperature limit (ASME Code, concrete containments) | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) |
| Values for | Normal-weight portland cement concrete, strength class f'c = 4000 psi (28 MPa) per NRMCA CIP 35; density NRMCA CIP 36; thermal conductivity USDA FPL Wood Handbook; service temperature ORNL/NRC review | 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
Which is lighter, Concrete or PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter: 1,920 kg/m³ against 2,320 kg/m³ for Concrete.
Which conducts heat better, Concrete or PCB Laminate FR-4?
Concrete conducts heat better: 0.9 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.
Which expands less with temperature?
Concrete expands less: 10 µm/m·K against 13.5 µm/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.