Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. PCB Laminate FR-4
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. PCB Laminate FR-4 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | 531–621MPasourcetypical: cross direction .. length direction (IPC-TM-650 2.4.4B) |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 21.9–25.8GPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2) |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 1,920kg/m³sourcetypical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg | 164kN·m/kg3.67x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 12.4MN·m/kg6.18x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.171–0.177sourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | 10.2GPa11.7x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 12.2GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 3,525m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 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 | 325µm growth | 67.5µm growth4.81x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 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 | 42.5W/m | 324W/m7.62x more resistant |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | 180°Csourcetypical, DSC (IPC-TM-650 2.4.25C) |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) |
| Values for | Ultimaker PC, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS (file v5.00), April 20, 2022. | 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.
FDM Polycarbonate is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM Polycarbonate stronger than PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against yield strength 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (5.92x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or PCB Laminate FR-4?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 1,920 kg/m³ for PCB Laminate FR-4.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is stiffer: Young's modulus 23.9 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in PCB Laminate FR-4 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or PCB Laminate FR-4?
For the same stiffness or strength: PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | PCB Laminate FR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 6.18x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.96x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 33% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.67x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.03x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.51x 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, FDM Polycarbonate or PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 conducts heat better: 0.4 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
PCB Laminate FR-4 expands less: 13.5 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
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