Custom Search
Over 9,000 pages indexed!
Your Host
Click here to read about RF CafeKirt
Blattenberger
... single-handedly
redefining what an
engineering website should be.

View the YouTube RF Cafe Intro Video Carpe Diem!
(Seize the Day!)

5CCG (5th MOB):
My USAF radar shop

Hobby & Fun

Airplanes and Rockets:
My personal hobby website

Equine Kingdom:
My daughter Sally's horse riding business website - lots of info

Doggy Dynasty:
My son-in-law's dog training business
•−•  ••−•    −•−•  •−  ••−•  •
RF Cafe Morse Code >Hear It<
Job Board
About RF Cafe©
RF Cafe E-Mail
Product & Service
Directory		 Engineering
Jobs
Personally Selected
Manufacturers		 Employers Only
(no recruiters)

Dielectric Constant, Strength, & Loss Tangent
Can't find what you are looking for - click here for very extensive lists of dielectric constants.

Values presented here are relative dielectric constants (relative permittivities). As indicated by er = 1.00000 for a vacuum, all values are relative to a vacuum.
Lossy dielectric equation for real and imaginary parts
Multiply by e0 = 8.8542 x 10-12 F/m (permittivity of free space) to obtain absolute permittivity. Dielectric constant is a measure of the charge retention capacity of a medium.
          "Q" from dielectric loss equation       Dielectric complex loss tangent

In general, low dielectric constants (i.e., Polypropylene) result in a "fast" substrate while large dielectric constants (i.e., Alumina) result in a "slow" substrate.
Dielectric loss equation
RF Cafe - Dielectric loss tangentThe dielectric loss tangent is defined by the angle between the capacitor's impedance vector and the negative reactive axis, as illustrated in the diagram to the right. It determines the lossiness of the medium. Similar to dielectric constant, low loss tangents result in a "fast" substrate while large loss tangents result in a "slow" substrate.

Dielectric complex conductivity

Beware that the exact values can vary greatly depending on the particular manufacturer's process, so you should seek out data from the manufacturer for critical applications.

The dielectric constant can be calculated using:   ε = Cs / Cv , where Cs is the capacitance with the specimen as the dielectric, and Cv is the capacitance with a vacuum as the dielectric.

The dissipation factor can be calculated using:   D = tan δ = cot θ = 1 / (2π f RpCp) ,  where δ is the loss angle, θ is the phase angle, f is the frequency, Rp is the equivalent parallel resistance, and Cp is the equivalent parallel capacitance.


Note: All values can vary by very large amounts depending on the specific material.
          Check with the MatWeb.com website for more details.

SubstanceDielectric Constant
(relative to air)		Dielectric
Strength
(V/mil)		Loss
Tangent		Max Temp
(°F)
ABS (plastic), Molded2.0 - 3.5400 - 1350 0.00500 - 0.0190 171 - 228
Air1.0005430 - 70  
Alumina - 96%
                - 99.5%
 		10.0
9.6
 		 0.0002 @ 1 GHz
0.0002 @ 100 MHz
0.0003 @ 10 GHz		 
Aluminum Silicate5.3 - 5.5   
Bakelite3.7   
Bakelite (mica filled)4.7325 - 375  
Balsa Wood1.37 @ 1 MHz
1.22 @ 3 GHz		 0.012 @ 1 MHz
0.100 @ 3 GHz		 
Beeswax (yellow)2.53 @ 1 MHz
2.39 @ 3 GHz		 0.0092 @ 1 MHz
0.0075 @ 3 GHz		 
Beryllium oxide6.7 0.006 @ 10 GHz 
Butyl Rubber2.35 @ 1 MHz
2.35 @ 3 GHz		 0.001 @ 1 MHz
0.0009 @ 3 GHz		 
Carbon Tetrachloride2.17 @ 1 MHz
2.17 @ 3 GHz		 <0.0004 @ 1 MHz
0.0004 @ 3 GHz		 
Diamond5.5 - 10   
Delrin (acetyl resin)3.7500 180
Douglas Fir1.9 @ 1 MHz 0.023 @ 1 MHz 
Douglas Fir Plywood1.93 @ 1 MHz
1.82 @ 3 GHz		 0.026 @ 1 MHz
0.027 @ 3 GHz		 
Enamel5.1450  
Epoxy glass PCB5.2700  
Ethyl Alcohol (absolute)24.5 @ 1 MHz
6.5 @ 3 GHz		 0.09 @ 1 MHz
0.25 @ 3 GHz		 
Ethylene Glycol41 @ 1 MHz
12 @ 3 GHz		 -0.03 @ 1 MHz
1 @ 3 GHz		 
Formica XX4.00   
FR-4 (G-10) - low resin
                  - high resin		4.9
4.2		 0.008 @ 100 MHz
0.008 @ 3 GHz		 
Fused quartz3.8 0.0002 @ 100 MHz
0.00006 @ 3 GHz		 
Fused silica (glass)3.8   
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)13.1 0.0016 @ 10 GHz 
Germanium16   
Glass4 - 10   
Glass (Corning 7059)5.75 0.0036 @ 10 GHz 
Gutta-percha2.6   
Halowax oil4.8   
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Molded1.0 - 5.0475 - 3810 0.0000400 - 0.00100158 - 248
Ice (pure distilled water)4.15 @ 1 MHz
3.2 @ 3 GHz		 0.12 @ 1 MHz
0.0009 @ 3 GHz		 
Kapton® Type 100
            Type 150		3.9
2.9		7400
4400		 500
 
Kel-F2.6   
Lexan®2.96400 275
Lucite2.8   
Mahogany2.25 @ 1 MHz
1.88 @ 3 GHz		 0.025 @ 1 MHz
0.025 @ 3 GHz		 
Mica         
Mica, Ruby		4.5 - 8.0
5.4		3800 -5600  
Micarta 2543.4 - 5.4   
Mylar®3.27000 250
Neoprene6 - 9600  
Neoprene rubber6.26 @ 1 MHz
4 @ 3 GHz		 0.038 @ 1 MHz
0.034 @ 3 GHz		 
Nomex® 800 450
Nylon3.2 - 5400 280
Oil (mineral, squibb)2.7200  
Paper (bond)3.0200  
Paraffin2-3   
Phenolica (glass-filled)5 - 7   
Phenolics (cellulose-filled)4 - 15 0.03 @ 100 MHz 
Phenolics (mica-filled)4.7 - 7.5   
Plexiglass®2.2 - 3.4450 - 990  
Polyethylene LDPE/HDPE2.26 @ 1 MHz
2.26 @ 3 GHz		450 - 12000.0002 @ 100 MHz
0.00031 @ 3 GHz		170
Polyamide2.5 - 2.6   
Polycarbonate, Molded 2.8 - 3.4380 - 9650.000660 - 0.0100 239 - 275
Polypropylene2.2500 250
Polystyrene2.5 - 2.65000.0001 @ 100 MHz
0.00033 @ 3 GHz		 
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)3725 140
Porcelain5.1 - 5.940 -280  
Pyrex glass (Corning 7740)5.1335  
Quartz (fused)4.2150 - 200  
RT/Duroid 5880
(go to Rogers)		2.20   
Rubber3.0 - 4.0150 - 500 170
Ruby11.3   
Silicon11.7 - 12.9100 - 7000.005 @ 1 GHz
0.015 @ 10 GHz		300
Silicone oil2.5   
Silicone RTV3.6550  
Soil (dry sandy)2.59 @ 1 MHz
2.55 @ 3 GHz		 0.017 @ 1 MHz
0.0062 @ 3 GHz		 
Soil (dry loamy)2.53 @ 1 MHz
2.44 @ 3 GHz		 0.018 @ 1 MHz
0.0011 @ 3 GHz		 
Steatite5.3-6.5   
Strontium titanate233   
Teflon® (PTFE)2.0 - 2.110000.00028 @ 3 GHz480
Tefzel® (1 kHz - 3 Ghz)2.6 - 2.3 0.0007 - 0.0119300
Tenite2.9 - 4.5   
Transformer oil4.5   
Vacuum (free space)1.00000   
Valox® 1560 400
Vaseline2.16 0.00004 @ 0.1 GHz
0.00066 @ 3 GHz		 
Vinyl2.8 - 4.5   
Water (32°F)
         (68°F)
          (212°F)		88.0
80.4
55.3		800.04 @ 1 MHz
0.157 @ 3 GHz		 
Water (distilled)76.7 - 78.2 0.005 @ 100 MHz
0.157 @ 3 GHz		 
Wood1.2 - 2.1 0.04 @ 0.1 GHz
0.03 @ 3 GHz		 
 

Related Pages on RF Cafe
- Coaxial Cable Specifications
- Capacitor Dielectrics & Descriptions
- Dielectric Constant, Strength, & Loss Tangent
- Conductor Bulk Resistivity & Skin Depths
- Coaxial Cable Equations
- Coaxial Cable Specifications
- Coaxial Cable Vendors
- Skin Depth Calculator
Note: Thanks to Gareth for correcting the omission of a square root sign in the dielectric equations.

          Thanks to Craig B. for correcting the loss tangent for Teflon (0.00028 rather than 0.0028).

RF Cafe Software

RF Cascade Workbook
 RF Cascade Workbook is a very extensive system cascaded component Excel workbook that includes the standard Gain, NF, IP2, IP3, Psat calculations, input & output VSWR, noise BW, min/max tolerance, DC power cauculations, graphing of all RF parameters, and has a graphical block diagram tool. An extensive User's Guide is also included. - Only $35.
RF system analysis including
frequency conversion & filters

Smith Chart™ for Excel
Smith Chart™ for Visio
RF & EE Symbols Word
RF Stencils for Visio
A Disruptive Web Presence™

Custom Search
Over 9,000 pages indexed!
 Read About RF Cafe
Webmaster: Kirt Blattenberger
KB3UON

Product & Service Directory
Personally Selected Manufacturers

 RF Cafe T-Shirts & Mugs
Calculator Workbook
RF Workbench
Please Support My Advertisers