LCP Type II
ASTM D6779 · ISO LCP
Aromatic copolyester LCP incorporating flexible-chain comonomers to lower melt processing temperature (~280-330°C) versus Type I while retaining good mechanical/electrical properties; the most widely used commercial LCP class.
Reference datasheet — LCP Type II is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
LCP Type II grades and fills
LCP Type II is supplied in 10 conditions, soft to hard.
Compare all 10 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lubricated bearing grade | For unlubricated bushings, thrust washers and pump vanes running hot and dry against metal. | 110 | 1.8 | 88 Shore D | |
Glass/mineral filled | Pick when flatness, blister-free reflow and clean laser marking on small SMT parts outrank peak strength. | 115 | 1.8 | ||
Laser-direct-structuring (LDS) grade | Contains a laser-activatable metal-oxide additive so antenna traces can be plated directly on the molded 3D part. | 125 | 1.6 | 90 Shore D | |
Static-dissipative / conductive grade | Carbon-black or carbon-fiber loaded LCP for IC test sockets, burn-in hardware and semiconductor tooling needing controlled surface resistance. | 130 | 1.8 | 90 Shore D | |
30 % glass-fiber reinforced | The workhorse SMT-connector grade: best balance of stiffness, HDT above lead-free reflow, and dimensional stability. | 140 | 2.1 | ||
Heat-stabilized / high-heat blow-off resistant grade | Formulated for repeated lead-free reflow (260 °C peak) and long-term 240 °C oven exposure without blistering. | 140 | 2.2 | 90 Shore D | |
40 % glass-fiber reinforced | Maximum stiffness/HDT and lowest CTE for coil bobbins, pump and sensor bodies where flow length is short. | 150 | 1.7 | ||
15 % glass-fiber reinforced | Light reinforcement to cut anisotropy and warpage while keeping good flow for 0.3–0.5 mm connector walls. | 160 | 2.6 | ||
High-frequency / low-loss grade | Low-Dk/Df formulations (often unfilled or spherical-filler modified) for antenna carriers, mmWave connectors and LCP film substrates. | 175 | 2.5 | 87 Shore D | |
30 % carbon-fiber reinforced | Highest specific stiffness plus static-dissipative/conductive behaviour and improved heat transfer for wafer-handling and precision parts. | 190 | 1.3 |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways LCP Type II is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
FIBER-FILM | Extrusion grade for fiber, tape and film | Supply form |
MED | Medical / biocompatible grade | Certification |
UnfilledDefault | Unfilled / natural injection grade | Standard supply |
What is LCP Type II?
Aromatic copolyester LCP incorporating flexible-chain comonomers to lower melt processing temperature (~280-330°C) versus Type I while retaining good mechanical/electrical properties; the most widely used commercial LCP class. LCP Type II has a density of 1.4 g/cm³ (0.0506 lb/in³), heavier than 79% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is 110°C (230 °F). LCP Type II has a tensile strength of 180 MPa (26.1 ksi), stronger than 98% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 3.5% and the elastic modulus is 10.5 GPa (1.52 Msi).
What is LCP Type II used for?
- connectors and sockets
- camera/optical housings
- thin-wall precision parts
- chemical-resistant seals
Advantages
- Low, predictable mold shrinkage — 0.1%, better than 99% of polymer grades
- Stiff — 10.5 GPa (1.52 Msi), better than 95% of polymer grades
- Low moisture uptake — 0.02%, better than 92% of polymer grades
- High service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), better than 87% of polymer grades
- Conducts heat well — 0.3 W/m·K (0.173 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 83% of polymer grades
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 12 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 91% of polymer grades
- Limited ductility — 3.5%, worse than 79% of polymer grades
- Heavy — 1.4 g/cm³ (0.0506 lb/in³), worse than 79% of polymer grades
- Limited formability — 15/100, worse than 79% of polymer grades
LCP Type II properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among polymer grades.
Physical5
LCP Type II has a density of 1.4 g/cm³ (0.0506 lb/in³), heavier than 79% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is 110°C (230 °F).
Mechanical12
LCP Type II has a tensile strength of 180 MPa (26.1 ksi), stronger than 98% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 3.5% and the elastic modulus is 10.5 GPa (1.52 Msi).
Thermal10
LCP Type II is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 0.3 W/m·K (0.173 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 83% of polymer grades. Thermal expansion is 8 µm/m·K (4.44 µin/in·°F).
Electrical7
LCP Type II is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 35 kV/mm (889 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹³ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is excellent (90/100), better than 82% of polymer grades. UV resistance is fair.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of LCP Type II takes about 250 MJ of energy and emits 12 kg of CO₂ — more than 92% of polymer grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability7
LCP Type II's machinability is good (55/100, worse than 64% of polymer grades); weldability poor (25/100); formability poor (15/100).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the polymer family
Yield strength against density for every polymer grade FabDigit runs. LCP Type II is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with LCP Type II
Is LCP Type II easy to machine?
Machines cleanly with sharp polished carbide/diamond tooling and light feeds, but the skin-core fibrillar structure delaminates and frays — avoid deep single-point cuts and drilling near thin walls.
Can LCP Type II be welded?
Poor for ultrasonic/vibration welding because the oriented skin splits; join by snap fit, press fit, insert molding, over-molding or laser welding on filled/absorbing grades; adhesives need plasma or corona pretreatment.
Can LCP Type II be formed, bent or molded?
Dry 4 h at 150 °C, melt 290–330 °C, mold 60–120 °C, use small gates, very high injection speed and short shots per cavity balance; expect near-zero flow shrinkage but 3–5× higher transverse shrinkage and weak weld lines — design gates to avoid knit lines in loaded areas.
LCP Type II chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA)mol % of aromatic ester units (Vectra A-type chemistry) | 60 – 80 | 73 |
| 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (HNA)mol %; kinked comonomer that lowers Tm vs Type I | 20 – 40 | 27 |
| terephthalic acid / 4,4'-biphenol / aminused in Zenite/Sumika-type Type II copolyesters and copolyesteramides | 0 – 30 | |
| glass fiberwt % in reinforced grades (GF15/GF30/GF40) | 0 – 50 | 0 |
| mineral / talc / carbon fillerwt % in low-warpage, wear or ESD grades | 0 – 40 | 0 |
What surface finishes work on LCP Type II?
Not paintable without primer; laser marks well on mineral/pigmented grades, plates directly only on LDS grades, and colors are limited by the high melt temperature (use high-heat pigments).
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to LCP Type II in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ASTM
- D6779
- ISO
- LCP
How much does LCP Type II cost?
LCP Type II is a high-cost polymer ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
LCP Type II — frequently asked
What is LCP Type II used for?
LCP Type II is typically used for connectors and sockets, camera/optical housings, thin-wall precision parts and chemical-resistant seals. In short: most-used commercial LCP; lower melt than Type I; strongest LCP tensile class.
What is the tensile strength of LCP Type II?
LCP Type II has a typical tensile strength of 180 MPa (26.1 ksi) — stronger than 98% of polymer grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 10 listed tempers.
Is LCP Type II easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (55/100, worse than 64% of polymer grades). Machines cleanly with sharp polished carbide/diamond tooling and light feeds, but the skin-core fibrillar structure delaminates and frays — avoid deep single-point cuts and drilling near thin walls.
Can LCP Type II be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (25/100). Poor for ultrasonic/vibration welding because the oriented skin splits; join by snap fit, press fit, insert molding, over-molding or laser welding on filled/absorbing grades; adhesives need plasma or corona pretreatment.
What surface finishes work on LCP Type II?
Not paintable without primer; laser marks well on mineral/pigmented grades, plates directly only on LDS grades, and colors are limited by the high melt temperature (use high-heat pigments).
Can LCP Type II be formed, bent or molded?
Dry 4 h at 150 °C, melt 290–330 °C, mold 60–120 °C, use small gates, very high injection speed and short shots per cavity balance; expect near-zero flow shrinkage but 3–5× higher transverse shrinkage and weak weld lines — design gates to avoid knit lines in loaded areas.
What is the maximum service temperature of LCP Type II?
LCP Type II is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F), and briefly to 260°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does LCP Type II cost?
LCP Type II is a high-cost polymer ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM D6779 Standard Classification System for Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) Molding and Extrusion Materials — ASTM International (2022)
- Vectra LCP product and processing guide (A950, A130, A430, A230 grades) — Celanese (2023)
- Zenite LCP resin datasheets — Celanese (formerly DuPont) (2022)
- Sumikasuper LCP technical data — Sumitomo Chemical (2023)
- CAMPUS / UL Prospector LCP material data sheets — CWFG / UL Solutions (2024)
- Engineered Materials Handbook Vol. 2: Engineering Plastics — ASM International (1988)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.