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Glossary » Materials » Polymers » Liquid Crystal Polymer » Unfilled » Platable Grade

Unfilled Platable Grade LCP is a subcategory of Liquid Crystal Polymer. The additative is added during the manufacturing process.

Liquid Crystal Polymer, also known as LCP, is a thermoplastic. Common trade names are Vectra and Xydar. Although expensive, LCP has excellent strength and good high temperature properties. It can be used in thin wall (as thin as 0.2 mm) applications. LCP parts can withstand vapor phase reflow and autoclaving temperatures of 135 ºC. It has high chemical resistance and is flame retardant. It has very low coefficient of thermal expansion and high tensile modulus (from 10 to 24 GPa). LCP is commonly used in high-performance engineering applications such as electrical connectors and machine parts. It can be used in surgical devices, and some LCP's meet the standards of USP Class VI.