Garolite

Garolite is a brand name for G10 – FR4 Fiberglass-epoxy laminate material. It is a material that is used in the making of circuit boards. It is typically used in its natural state and color which is that very recognizable greenish/yellow. It’s used because of its amazing properties for circuit board manufacturing. The fact that it doesn’t absorb water, has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and is an excellent insulator makes this one of the top used materials in Electronics today.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

Garolite Properties

What is a low coefficient of thermal expansion even mean? As you heat a substance up, it will expand and then put it in the freezer and it contracts. This expansion and contraction is the coefficient of thermal expansion of that particular material. Garolite doesn’t change when it is heated or cooled, for the most part, only a tiny amount. This is a property that is really important when we are looking at circuit boards. As these boards will heat up with use. We cannot have them expanding and contracting a lot or we risk breaking all the tiny connections on the board. Some materials do expand quite a bit when they are exposed to heat. This is the type of material that would not be good for electronic circuit boards. And, this material has a high coefficient of thermal expansion.

You can Machine Garolite

Garolite though cannot be injection molded. It must be machined and comes in sheets. These sheets are made of resin as well as fiberglass. The fiberglass is what gives the material it’s rigidity. However, Garolite can be machined to be insert molded into an object. And, it’s a very strong material with all of the fiberglass.

It has very high insulating factors, which means that it will insulate the area from electrical current. And, electrical current cannot flow through it. This is another one of Garolite’s properties that makes it the perfect circuit board candidate. Since all those tiny components have electricity running through them. With it conducting almost no electricity it won’t interfere with the components on the circuit board.

The Marine Industry

Garolite Uses

Other applications besides Circuit boards are knife handles, insulators, jigs and fixtures, and boating applications. Because it doesn’t absorb water, this material is perfect for the marine industry. It is often used in the engine compartment as there we benefit from its electrical insulating properties as well. But, it can be used to patch a boat as well as other boating components. You may not recognize this material from the boating industry as it is often painted on the top surface to match the boat. It is used for various covers around the boat as well as engine mounts.

Garolite is a very strong material as well and it can hold quite a bit of weight. For that reason, it makes great mounting boards. It offers great fire resistance due to the glass and is resistant to oil and moisture. Which makes it a perfect match for boat engine rooms.

Garolite will breakdown if exposed to UV light. This is a great feature for recycling but makes it impossible to use in some applications.