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PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes vs. Stainless Steel 304

Compare PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes vs. Stainless Steel 304 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

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PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planesComposite
Stainless Steel 304Wrought
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Mechanical
Yield strengthnot given (tensile used)241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C)
Ultimate tensile strength246–385MPasourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039)586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C)
Elongation at breaknot sourced55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm)
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 out193GPasourcetypical, in tension
Densitynot sourced8,030kg/m³sourcetypical
Strength to weightnot sourced30kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weightnot sourced24MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio0.171–0.177sourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane: cross direction .. length direction0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels)
Shear modulus10.2GPa74.2GPa7.3x stiffer in shear
Bulk modulus12.2GPa161GPa
Speed of soundnot sourced4,903m/s
Thermal
Thermal conductivitynot sourced16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C
Thermal expansion13–14µm/m·Ksourcethe bare laminate's (fr4-370hr), in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C)16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing67.5µm growth25% less84.5µm growth
Specific heatnot sourced500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)not sourced4.03mm²/s
Thermal shock resistancenot sourced838W/m
Melting pointnot sourced1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range
Max service temperaturenot sourced899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air
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.Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual

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 Stainless Steel 304?

PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against yield strength 241 MPa for Stainless Steel 304 (31%).

Which is stiffer, PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes or Stainless Steel 304?

Stainless Steel 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 23.9 GPa for PCB Board FR-4, 2 copper planes, so the same part in Stainless Steel 304 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 16.9 µm/m·K for Stainless Steel 304.

Among 73 materials

1k10k0.1110100Density (kg/m³)Young's modulus (GPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless 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 ABS (bulk/injection)Plastic 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 GF30Stainless Steel 304
Stiffness against density
1k10k101001kDensity (kg/m³)Yield strength (MPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonRubberAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless 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 ABS (bulk/injection)Plastic 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 GF30Stainless Steel 304
Strength against density

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