New UL/ANSI circuit board types recognise PIN technology
UL (Underwriters Laboratories) have recognised the evolution of today’s performance fire-safety treated materials for printed circuit boards (PCBs) by splitting the UL/ANSI (American National Standards Institute) FR-4 specification into two, FR4-0 for the traditional brominated PCBs and FR 4.1 for the more recent PIN (“non-halogen”) materials.
Originally FR-4 PCBs were glass-filled brominated epoxies, but they have been improved to ensure high speed and high reliability, as well as to respond to market demand for environmental, non-halogenated materials. Both types of FR-4 board must contain at least 50 wt% epoxy resin, 45 wt% inorganics and meet a 130°C thermal rating. The new FR-4.1 boards must contain < 900 ppm chlorine, < 900 ppm bromine and < 1500 ppm total halogens.
“What does UL’s FR-4 Reclassification Mean to Your Company?” http://www.thetestlab.com/uls-fr-4-reclassification-mean-company/UL slides: http://www.ul.com/global/documents/offerings/industries/hightech/printedwiringboards/2013_FR4_IPC_Impact-20130602.pdf
“New AL/ANSI types replacing FR-4 from IPC proposal”, The PCB Magazine, March 2015 http://www.pcb007.com/pages/thepcbmagazine.cgi