Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP)
LCP is a thermoplastic, further classified as a polyester plastic. It can have the highest mechanical heat stability among polyester plastics. In addition, it has the highest melting temperature and can have the highest tensile strength.
The properties of LCP include three common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare LCP to: polyester plastics (top), all thermoplastics (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
11 to 24 GPa 1.6 to 3.5 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
1.0 to 3.0 %
Flexural Modulus
9.0 to 23 GPa 1.3 to 3.3 x 106 psi
Flexural Strength
160 to 320 MPa 23 to 46 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
180 to 230 MPa 26 to 33 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Heat Deflection Temperature At 1.82 MPa (264 psi)
240 to 270 °C 470 to 520 °F
Maximum Temperature: Decomposition
520 °C 960 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
280 °C 540 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
1020 to 1200 J/kg-K 0.24 to 0.29 BTU/lb-°F
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Density
1.4 to 1.6 g/cm3 87 to 100 lb/ft3
Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI)
35 %
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
4.4 to 8.9 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
51 to 65 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
33 to 43 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
45 to 56 points
Followup Questions
Further Reading
Liquid Crystalline Polymers, Xin-Jiu Wang and Qi-Feng Zhou, 2004
Reinforced Plastics Durability, Geoffrey Pritchard (editor), 1999
SPI Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 5th ed., Michael L. Berins (editor), 2000
Modern Plastics Handbook, Charles A. Harper (editor), 1999
Plastics Materials, 7th ed., J. A. Brydson, 1999