Materials / Compare
Nickel Inconel 718 vs. PCB Laminate FR-4
Compare Nickel Inconel 718 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 | 1,207MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. hot-rolled bar, 0.2% offset | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 1,389MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 531–621MPasourcetypical: cross direction .. length direction (IPC-TM-650 2.4.4B) |
| Elongation at break | 20%sourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 200GPasourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged | 21.9–25.8GPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2) |
| Density | 8,221kg/m³sourcenominal, annealed and aged | 1,920kg/m³sourcetypical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR |
| Strength to weight | 147kN·m/kg | 164kN·m/kg12% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 24.3MN·m/kg1.96x higher | 12.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.294sourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged | 0.171–0.177sourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction |
| Shear modulus | 77.3GPa7.6x stiffer in shear | 10.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 162GPa | 12.2GPa |
| Speed of sound | 4,932m/s | 3,525m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 11.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged (calculated from resistivity per footnote a) | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet |
| Thermal expansion | 13.2µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 21-93 °C, annealed + aged | 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 | 66µm growth2% less | 67.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 435J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C | 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) | 3.19mm²/s19.9x faster | 0.16mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,680W/m11.4x more resistant | 324W/m |
| Melting point | 1,260–1,336°Csourcemelting range | not sourced |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 180°Csourcetypical, DSC (IPC-TM-650 2.4.25C) |
| Max service temperature | 704°Csourceupper use temperature stated by producer | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) |
| Values for | INCONEL alloy 718, standard grade, 1750 °F/1 hr anneal + 1325 °F/8 hr F.C. to 1150 °F aged; Special Metals bulletin SMC-045 typical values | 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 Nickel Inconel 718 stronger than PCB Laminate FR-4?
Nickel Inconel 718 is stronger: its yield strength is 1,207 MPa against tensile strength 315 MPa for PCB Laminate FR-4 (3.83x).
Which is lighter, Nickel Inconel 718 or PCB Laminate FR-4?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter: 1,920 kg/m³ against 8,221 kg/m³ for Nickel Inconel 718.
Which is stiffer, Nickel Inconel 718 or PCB Laminate FR-4?
Nickel Inconel 718 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 23.9 GPa for PCB Laminate FR-4, so the same part in Nickel Inconel 718 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Nickel Inconel 718 or PCB Laminate FR-4?
For the same stiffness or strength: Nickel Inconel 718 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension); PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Nickel Inconel 718 | PCB Laminate FR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 1.96x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 48% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 2.11x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 12% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1.75x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.19x 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, Nickel Inconel 718 or PCB Laminate FR-4?
Nickel Inconel 718 conducts heat better: 11.4 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.
Which expands less with temperature?
Nickel Inconel 718 expands less: 13.2 µm/m·K against 13.5 µm/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.
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