Materials / Compare
Drywall vs. PCB Laminate FR-4
Compare Drywall 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 | 1–2MPasourceambient range reported in review (Australian studies) | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) |
| Compressive strength | 2.4MPasourcetypical, 70 F / 50% RH | 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) | 1–2GPasourceambient range reported in review (Australian studies) | 21.9–25.8GPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2) |
| Density | not sourced | 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 | 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 | not sourced | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet |
| Thermal expansion | 16.7µm/m·Ksourcetypical, unrestrained, 3.3-32 C | 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 | 83.5µm growth | 67.5µm growth24% less |
| Specific heat | 1,090J/kg·Ksourcetypical (from ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, per GA) | 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) | not sourced | 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 | 52°Csourcemanufacturer sustained-exposure limit | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) |
| Values for | 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) regular gypsum board (ASTM C1396), Gypsum Association GA-235-2019 typical/minimum properties; tensile and E from USDA FPL-co-authored review; service limit from USG Sheetrock 1/2 in. submittal | 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 Drywall stronger than PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against 1.5 MPa for Drywall (210x).
Which is stiffer, Drywall or PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is stiffer: Young's modulus 23.9 GPa against 1.5 GPa for Drywall, so the same part in PCB Laminate FR-4 deflects less under the same load.
Which expands less with temperature?
PCB Laminate FR-4 expands less: 13.5 µm/m·K against 16.7 µm/m·K for Drywall.