Polyimide Printed Circuit Boards

At Rush PCB UK, our customers often look for alternatives to conventional PCB materials like FR-4. One of the best alternative materials is Polyimide, which has gained popularity in recent years.

Polyimide is a synthetic plastic, and boards made from this material show exceptional mechanical strength and temperature stability. That makes Polyimide material an excellent choice for use in the electronics industry, aerospace, sports goods, and others.

Manufacturers fabricate printed circuit boards out of many other materials besides Polyimide, However, electronic industries have decided that material characteristics of Polyimide make it a viable choice for printed circuit boards.

Second Generation or Pure Polyimides

Pure Polyimides have no brominated flame retardants or additional additives, making them exceptionally stable. They are also thermally stable, and have high resistance to temperature fluctuations as compared to other types of Polyimides. Their high mechanical strength makes pure Polyimides quite popular.

Third Generation Polyimides

Third generation Polyimides are a later version, containing additives for increasing their resistance to flammability. Therefore, third generation Polyimides are a crucial inhibitor against fires in electrical equipment. While not as thermally stable as the second generation Polyimides, production rate for the third generation Polyimide material is much faster, which is a huge benefit when producing in bulk.

Filled Polyimides

Adding one or more filler materials makes filled Polyimides resistant to resin shrinkage, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the material. Adding filler materials prevents cracking during the curing or drilling process.

Low-Flow Polyimides

For tough and stiff printed circuit boards, useful in rough environments, low-flow Polyimides offer the best choice. As a specialty material, low-flow Polyimides are suitable for PCBs where conventional materials are not.

Polyimide materials are a good choice for fabricating printed circuit boards that must have special characteristics. However, Rush PCB UK recommends customers to first discuss their requirements with our experts to determine whether a Polyimide PCB is their best choice.

We offer each of our clients personalized support and advice. That is one reason why our customers trust us to provide relevant and useful information.

High Flexibility

Other than the low-flow Polyimides, all other types show excellent flexibility. Printed circuit boards made from these materials can bend and fit into confined spaces in products. Although there is a limit to the flexibility, these PCBs can absorb impacts, allowing products to withstand rough handling.

High Tensile Strength

Along with high flexibility, Polyimide materials also demonstrate superior tensile strength, making them tough and resistant to warping. Products made with Polyimide materials have great physical durability. This is desirable for handheld electronics and circuit boards that must withstand mechanical vibrations.

High Thermal Stability

Polyimide materials do not change dimensions much with temperature changes. The amount of dimensional change that occurs does not damage PCB vias and tracks. Although the actual dimensional change depends on the type of Polyimide, most of them can function reliably within temperatures ranging from -200 to +300 degrees Celsius.

No other circuit board material can cover this extensive temperature range as Polyimide materials do. Therefore, Polyimide materials are an exceptional choice for printed circuit boards that must work in adverse temperature ranges.

High Resistance to Chemicals

Apart from their resistance to heat, Polyimide materials are also highly resistant to most common chemicals that PCB manufacturers use. This makes PCBs made from Polyimide materials highly resistant to corrosion in the presence of hostile chemicals.

High Durability

Most Polyimides handle mechanical and physical stress very well. This allows PCBs made from Polyimides to retain their physical dimensions even when there is physical pressure or dynamic thermal conditions present.

Several industries use Polyimides extensively. Among them are the computer industry, automotive industry, medical industry, military and aerospace industries, and many more. For any type of Polyimide PCBs, contact Rush PCB UK.

Contact us now and get a free quote on Polyimides PCB or any kind of PCBs.