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PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes vs. Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)

Compare PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes vs. Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

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PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planesComposite
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)Bulk polymer (molded or machined)
Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browserOpen in LessCADOpen in LessCAD
Mechanical
Yield strengthnot given (tensile used)45MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield 23 °C
Ultimate tensile strength246–385MPasourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039)not sourced
Flexural strengthnot sourced65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C
Elongation at breaknot sourced10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C
Young's modulus (stiffness)21.9–25.8GPasourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2); the copper planes are left out2.3GPasourcetypical
Densitynot sourced1,040kg/m³sourcetypical
Strength to weightnot sourced43.3kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weightnot sourced2.21MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio0.171–0.177sourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1)
Shear modulus10.2GPa12.3x stiffer in shear0.827GPa
Bulk modulus12.2GPa3.48GPa
Speed of soundnot sourced1,487m/s
Thermal
Thermal conductivitynot sourced0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical
Thermal expansion13–14µm/m·Ksourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C)80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing67.5µm growth7.04x less475µm growth
Specific heatnot sourcednot sourced
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)not sourcednot sourced
Thermal shock resistancenot sourced21.4W/m
Max service temperaturenot sourced94°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (annealed 4 h/80 °C)
Values forA whole circuit board read as one orthotropic plate: the JEDEC high-K thermal test board (JESD51-7, "2s2p"), 0.062 in (1.575 mm) thick with two internal solid copper planes 0.0014 in (1 oz) thick, as Texas Instruments SZZA017A Table 1 gives it. Copper C110 and the Isola 370HR laminate from this library; the layers conduct in parallel along the board and in series through it (boardStackup.ts). Its two 0.0028 in trace layers cover little of the board and are left out; vias are ignored. Mechanical values are the bare laminate's.INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 general-purpose injection-molding ABS, ISO typical values (TDS revision 08/01/2022)

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 PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes stronger than Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against yield strength 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (7.01x).

Which is stiffer, PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes is stiffer: Young's modulus 23.9 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes deflects less under the same load.

Which expands less with temperature?

PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes expands less: 13.5 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).

Among 73 materials

1k10k0.1110100Density (kg/m³)Young's modulus (GPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless Steel 304Stainless Steel 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless Steel 303Stainless Steel 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Nickel Inconel 718Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelDMLS 17-4PH Stainless SteelPCB Laminate FR-4SiliconCeramic Alumina 96%Ceramic Aluminum NitrideAluminum A380Aluminum 6063-T6Aluminum 1100-OAluminum ADC12Magnesium AZ91DSolder SAC305Plastic PBT GF30Plastic PPS GF40Plastic LCP GF30Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)
Stiffness against density
1k10k101001kDensity (kg/m³)Yield strength (MPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonRubberAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless Steel 304Stainless Steel 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless Steel 303Stainless Steel 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Nickel Inconel 718Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic PTFEPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLA Resin Elastic 50ASLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelDMLS 17-4PH Stainless SteelBrickPCB Laminate FR-4SiliconCeramic Alumina 96%Aluminum A380Aluminum 6063-T6Aluminum 1100-OAluminum ADC12Magnesium AZ91DSolder SAC305Plastic PBT GF30Plastic PPS GF40Plastic LCP GF30Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)
Strength against density

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