PCB Laminate FR-4 vs. Plastic LCP GF30

Compare PCB Laminate FR-4 vs. Plastic LCP GF30 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Plastic LCP GF30Bulk polymer (molded or machined)

Mechanical	PCB Laminate FR-4	Plastic LCP GF30
Yield strength	not given (tensile used)	not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength	246–385MPa1	tensile strength115MPa2
Flexural strength	531–621MPa1	184MPa2
Elongation at break	not sourced	tensile elongation1.5%2
Young's modulus (stiffness)	21.9–25.8GPa1	tensile modulus11.5GPa2
Density	1,920kg/m³3	1,610kg/m³219% lighter
Strength to weight	164kN·m/kg2.3x higher	71.4kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	12.4MN·m/kg1.74x higher	7.14MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	0.171–0.1771	not sourced
Shear modulus	10.2GPa	not sourced
Bulk modulus	12.2GPa	not sourced
Speed of sound	3,525m/s32% faster	2,673m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	PCB Laminate FR-4	Plastic LCP GF30
Thermal conductivity	0.4W/m·K1	hot disk0.5W/m·K225% more heat through a fin
Thermal expansion	13–14µm/m·K1	flow direction20µm/m·K2
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	67.5µm growth48% less	100µm growth
Specific heat	1,200–1,400J/kg·K3	ASTM E1269839J/kg·K2
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	0.16mm²/s	0.37mm²/s2.31x faster
Thermal shock resistance	324W/m	not sourced
Glass transition	180°C1	not sourced
Max service temperature	130°C1	HDT 1.8 MPa288°C2

Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weight

Thermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated

Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser	Open in LessCAD	Open in LessCAD

Sources3 documents: Isola, Sumitomo Chemical, Park Electrochemical (Nelco)

PCB Laminate FR-4: 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.
Plastic LCP GF30: Sumitomo Chemical SUMIKASUPER LCP E6006L (30% glass fibre; high strength, low shrinkage); SUMIKASUPER LCP Technical Note, Version 04 / Nov. 2023, typical values.

1
370HR Laminate and Prepreg Data SheetIsolaarchived copyPCB Laminate FR-4 · Ultimate tensile strength: typical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D3039)PCB Laminate FR-4 · Flexural strength: typical: cross direction .. length direction (IPC-TM-650 2.4.4B)PCB Laminate FR-4 · Young's modulus (stiffness): typical, in-plane: cross direction .. length direction (ASTM D790-15e2)PCB Laminate FR-4 · Poisson's ratio: typical, in-plane: cross direction .. length directionPCB Laminate FR-4 · Thermal conductivity: typical (ASTM E1952); direction not stated by the sheetPCB Laminate FR-4 · Thermal expansion: typical, in-plane X/Y-axis, below Tg (IPC-TM-650 2.4.24C)PCB Laminate FR-4 · Glass transition: typical, DSC (IPC-TM-650 2.4.25C)PCB Laminate FR-4 · Max service temperature: UL Relative Thermal Index (UL 796)
2
SUMIKASUPER LCP Technical Note, Version 04 (2023)Sumitomo Chemicalarchived copyPlastic LCP GF30 · Ultimate tensile strength: tensile strength (ISO 527)Plastic LCP GF30 · Flexural strength: typical (ISO 178)Plastic LCP GF30 · Elongation at break: tensile elongation (ISO 527)Plastic LCP GF30 · Young's modulus (stiffness): tensile modulus (ISO 527)Plastic LCP GF30 · Density: typicalPlastic LCP GF30 · Thermal conductivity: hot disk (ISO 22007-2), temperature not statedPlastic LCP GF30 · Thermal expansion: flow direction (MD), mean 50-150 °CPlastic LCP GF30 · Specific heat: ASTM E1269, temperature not statedPlastic LCP GF30 · Max service temperature: HDT 1.8 MPa (ISO 75)
3
N4000-6 Laminate Data Sheet (2006)Park Electrochemical (Nelco)archived copyPCB Laminate FR-4 · Density: typical, 50% resin content; another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HRPCB Laminate FR-4 · Specific heat: typical (ASTM E1461); another FR-4 producer: Park Nelco N4000-6 (high-Tg multifunctional epoxy), not Isola 370HR

Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.

Questions

Mechanical

Is PCB Laminate FR-4 stronger than Plastic LCP GF30?

PCB Laminate FR-4 is stronger: its tensile strength is 315 MPa against 115 MPa for Plastic LCP GF30 (2.74x).

Which is lighter, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic LCP GF30?

Plastic LCP GF30 is lighter: 1,610 kg/m³ against 1,920 kg/m³ for PCB Laminate FR-4.

Which is stiffer, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic LCP GF30?

PCB Laminate FR-4 is stiffer: Young's modulus 23.9 GPa against 11.5 GPa for Plastic LCP GF30, so the same part in PCB Laminate FR-4 deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic LCP GF30?

For the same stiffness or strength: PCB Laminate FR-4 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.

Part that must be	PCB Laminate FR-4	Plastic LCP GF30
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	1.74x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	lighter	21% heavier
Stiff panel or plate	lighter	7% heavier
Strong rod or tie	lighter	2.3x heavier
Strong beam	lighter	1.64x heavier
Strong panel or plate	lighter	39% 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).

Thermal

Which conducts heat better, PCB Laminate FR-4 or Plastic LCP GF30?

Plastic LCP GF30 conducts heat better: 0.5 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for PCB Laminate FR-4.

Which expands less with temperature?

PCB Laminate FR-4 expands less: 13.5 µm/m·K against 20 µm/m·K for Plastic LCP GF30.