CuClad 233 offers a higher dielectric constant than CuClad 217 within a cross-plied woven-glass PTFE architecture. It is useful as a separate design point when low-Dk antenna or microwave structures need a different balance of size and mechanical reinforcement. The current sheet's Dk test frequency must remain attached to the value.
Material system
Cross-plied woven-glass-reinforced PTFE
Technical properties
| Property | Reported value | Conditions / source |
|---|---|---|
| Dissipation factor | 0.0013 | Typical, 10 GHz, 23°C; IPC-TM-650 2.5.5.5; direction is not separately recorded here. Source |
| Process dielectric constant | 2.33 | Typical; 1 MHz, C23/50, IPC-TM-650 2.5.5.3, current product datasheet electrical table. Frequency differs from the selector heading. Source |
Typical reported values are not a purchase specification. Process Dk, design Dk and values measured at different frequencies are not interchangeable.
Selection and design notes
- Evaluate it when CuClad 217 leads to an inconvenient footprint or feed width, then compare the resulting geometry and loss. A small dielectric change can affect both a radiator and the corporate feed network that drives it.
- If an existing model uses the selector's Design Dk, document that source independently. The current product table's 1 MHz observation is not an interchangeable acceptance or design number for all microwave structures.
Thickness and copper options
Use the current CuClad 233 offering and tolerance table; selector examples include 10, 20, 31 and 62 mil.
Specify copper thickness and treatment separately; foil selection can change loss without changing the dielectric product name.
Fabrication considerations
- Ask a PTFE-capable fabricator to define the drill, plating preparation and panel-compensation process. Maintain the cross-plied construction and foil details in procurement so that a proposed equivalent can be assessed meaningfully.
Application fit
- Microwave antenna feeds
- Cross-plied PTFE boards
- Low-Dk RF networks
Limits and substitution checks
- Automatic impedance input is withheld because the selected scalar here is a 1 MHz product-table value, not a verified broadband Design Dk. The cross-plied structure also does not establish finished-board phase balance without control of line geometry, copper and assembly conditions.