Materials / Compare
PCB Laminate FR-4 vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare PCB Laminate FR-4 vs. Plastic PTFE 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 | not given (tensile used) | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Flexural strength | 531–621MPasourcetypical: cross direction .. length direction (IPC-TM-650 2.4.4B) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 21.9–25.8GPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2) | not sourced |
| Density | 1,920kg/m³sourcetypical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 164kN·m/kg39.4x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 12.4MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.171–0.177sourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | 10.2GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 12.2GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 3,525m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | 13–14µm/m·Ksourcetypical, in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C) | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 67.5µm growth7.41x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,200–1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1461); another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.16mm²/s1.94x faster | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 324W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Glass transition | 180°Csourcetypical, DSC (IPC-TM-650 2.4.25C) | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | 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. | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) |
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 Laminate FR-4 stronger than Plastic PTFE?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against yield strength 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (35x).
Which is lighter, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic PTFE?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter: 1,920 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | PCB Laminate FR-4 | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 39.4x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 12x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 6.66x heavier |
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, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic PTFE?
PCB Laminate FR-4 conducts heat better: 0.4 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature?
PCB Laminate FR-4 expands less: 13.5 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.