How to distinguish PCB materials.

[nguyennam]

types of pcb materials

Hi all,
I always heard about FR-4 as a PCB materials.

However, practically, I have seen 3 types of PCB materials, with different features:
1. Brown, 1-side, easy to bend. I see in China-made toy boards, radio-TV board.
2. Greenish, 1- or 2-side, harder. I saw in computer boards.
3. White and thick, 1-side, very hard. I saw in power supply, as in PSU from computers.

Anyone can explain what are theys and how they are different from each other?

Thank you very much.
nguyennam

 

[lladnar23]

The brown board is probably a material called phenonlic -- it's an older PCB material, and not used very often these days, since it is quite inferior to FR4. FR4 is the "standard" PCB material, and is an epoxy-glass composite material. Chances are, your green PCBs are FR4.
I'm not sure about the third one...

 

[chinta]

The first one you said is paper phenolic material. It is used in consumer boards like you said TV, audio systems, toys etc... where they need cheaper boards and less complicated circuits. they are mostly S/S boards.

the second ones are mostly FR4, but now a lot of types available.

The third one you mentioned, even I am not sure.

May be you can google over the net to find more types of materials.

 

[dindeds]

See the link below for the info & pics for FR1, FR4 & CEM.

**broken link removed**

 

[nguyennam]

Thank you all very much for your attentions and help. I now understand something.

Dindeds, I cannot open the link you give, can you recheck it? Thank you very much.

nguyennam

 

[TraceRouter]

Dindeds, I cannot open the link you give, can you recheck it? Thank you very much.

It works for me, try changing the ** to tt or just copy this part of the URL: www.warapcb.com/support_material.php[/quote]

 

[nguyennam]

It now works for me finally, thank you very much for helps, that is really what I would like to know.

nguyenam