THERMOPLASTICS PROVE ADVANTAGEOUS IN ELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS.

For the last 30 years, printed circuit boards made from laminates of thermosetting resin have been the mainstay of the interconnection industry. Epoxy-glass laminates, the ubiquitous FR-4, is the standard against which any new material must match its worth. Certain engineering thermoplastics, introduced in recent years, match up very well indeed. These are cleary superior to epoxy-glass in both thermal and electrical properties. Additionally, these remarkable materials approach some of the premium performance of expensive laminates such as Teflon-glass and polyimide-glass. Engineering thermoplastics offer a combination of properties unavailable in conventional materials. While use is currently in the early stages, the potential for these materials seems great.