Materials / Compare
PCB Laminate FR-4 vs. Titanium
Compare PCB Laminate FR-4 vs. Titanium 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) | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 246–385MPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039) | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 531–621MPasourcetypical: cross direction .. length direction (IPC-TM-650 2.4.4B) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 21.9–25.8GPasourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2) | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,920kg/m³sourcetypical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 164kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg22% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 12.4MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg2.08x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.171–0.177sourcetypical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 10.2GPa | 42.7GPa4.2x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 12.2GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 3,525m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheet | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 13–14µm/m·Ksourcetypical, in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C) | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 67.5µm growth | 45µm growth1.5x less |
| 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 | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.16mm²/s | 2.57mm²/s16x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 324W/m | 3,730W/m11.5x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 180°Csourcetypical, DSC (IPC-TM-650 2.4.25C) | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 130°CsourceUL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| 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. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against tensile strength 315 MPa for PCB Laminate FR-4 (2.81x).
Which is lighter, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Titanium?
PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter: 1,920 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 23.9 GPa for PCB Laminate FR-4, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | PCB Laminate FR-4 | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 2.08x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 5% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 37% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 22% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 16% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 38% 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 Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 13.5 µm/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.