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Polyimide Film
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Thickness | Sides | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| 0.025mm to 0.05mm | 10 x 10 mm to 500 x 500 mm | Kapton®; Cirlex®, Vespel® |
Need custom configurations? Please contact our Technical Solutions team.
Key Features
Polyimide film possesses a combination of material characteristics that make it particularly well suited for aerospace, electronics, medical, and high-temperature industrial applications:
High Thermal Stability (up to 400 °C)
Polyimide film maintains its structural and functional integrity across extreme temperature ranges, making it ideal for aerospace insulation, high-temperature electronics, and thermal shielding in demanding environments.
Excellent Electrical Insulation (22 kV/mm)
With a dielectric strength of 22 kV/mm, its outstanding insulating properties support high-voltage and high-frequency applications, including flexible printed circuits, transformers, and microelectronic devices.
Mechanical Strength with Flexibility (70–150 MPa tensile strength)
Combining high tensile strength with elongation at break up to 70%, polyimide film resists tearing and fatigue, enabling use in dynamic flex circuits, robotic systems, and aerospace harnesses.
Selective Chemical Resistance
Polyimide film performs reliably in environments involving greases, fuels, and industrial solvents, supporting its use in electronics manufacturing and lab instrumentation.
Radiation and Flame Resistance
Its flame-retardant and radiation-tolerant nature makes it suitable for space systems, nuclear applications, and mission-critical electronics where safety and reliability are paramount.
Dimensional Stability
Polyimide film maintains its shape and performance under thermal and environmental stress, with low outgassing and minimal moisture uptake, making it ideal for cleanroom, vacuum, and space-grade applications.
Industrial Applications
Polyimide film is used across advanced industries for its heat resistance, electrical insulation, chemical resistance, and flexibility:
- ✦ Aerospace & Space Systems
- Used for thermal insulation, wire protection, and lightweight structural layers in spacecraft and aircraft. Its resistance to extreme temperatures and radiation makes it ideal for avionics, satellites, and re-entry shielding.
- ✦ Electronics & Flexible Circuits
- Widely used in smartphones, computers, and consumer electronics, polyimide film serves as a substrate for flexible printed circuits (FPCs), insulating tapes, and dielectric layers in capacitors. Its flexibility and heat resistance support compact, high-density circuit designs.
- ✦ Automotive & Electric Vehicles
- In EVs and hybrid vehicles, polyimide film insulates battery modules, sensors, and engine components. It withstands high temperatures, vibration, and chemical exposure, improving safety and performance in demanding automotive environments.
- ✦ Medical & Wearable Devices
- Biocompatible and sterilisation-resistant, polyimide film is used in flexible medical sensors, catheters, and wearable electronics. Its thin profile and thermal stability enable compact, durable designs for continuous monitoring and diagnostic tools.
- ✦ Industrial & High-Temperature Manufacturing
- Used in high-temperature masking, coil insulation, and Class H electrical systems. It protects components during soldering, coating, and adhesive processing.
- ✦ Telecommunications & RF Systems
- Provides insulation and substrate support for RF components and high-frequency devices. Its dielectric strength and thermal stability ensure signal integrity in 5G and telecom infrastructure.
- ✦ Renewable Energy & Photovoltaics
- Utilised in flexible solar panels and photovoltaic cells, where its electrical insulation and environmental durability enhance energy efficiency in solar and wind power systems.
Mentions in Scientific Literature
Goodfellow's polyimide film features prominently in research including but not exclusive to domains such as:
Electrochemical Experimentation & Catalyst Development, used to stabilise carbon electrodes, prevent electrolyte leakage, and control deposition areas in plasma-based synthesis and metal coating processes
[1–2]
.
Spectroscopic Sample Preparation, used to hold samples in place during X-ray fluorescence and absorption studies, including research on chromium-lipid interactions
[3]
.
Across these disciplines researchers have utilised our polyimide films as
electrode stabilisers and deposition masks in electrochemical catalyst development
[1–2]
and as
inert, dimensionally stable sample holders for X-ray spectroscopic analysis
[3]
— applications that all benefit from polyimide's outstanding thermal resilience, chemical inertness, and mechanical durability.
References & Citations
Click to expand
- González-Flores, D., Klingan, K., Petko Chernev, Loos, S., Mohammad Reza Mohammadi, Pasquini, C., Kubella, P., Ivelina Zaharieva, Rodney, & Dau, H. (2018). Nickel-iron catalysts for electrochemical water oxidation – redox synergism investigated by in situ X-ray spectroscopy with millisecond time resolution. Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2(9), 1986–1994. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8se00114f
- González-Flores, D. (2017). Electrochemical water oxidation with transition-metal based catalysts: structure-function relations by electrochemistry combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/bitstream/fub188/13078/1/Diego_Gonzalez-Flores.pdf
- Nowakowski, M., Wiśniewska-Becker, A., Czapla-Masztafiak, J., Jakub Szlachetko, Budziak, A., Żaneta Polańska, Zuzanna Pietralik-Molińska, Kozak, M., & Kwiatek, W. M. (2023). Cr(vi) permanently binds to the lipid bilayer in an inverted hexagonal phase throughout the reduction process. RSC Advances, 13(27), 18854–18863. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2ra07851a
Synonyms
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Acids - concentrated | Poor |
| Acids - dilute | Fair |
| Alcohols | Poor |
| Alkalis | Poor |
| Aromatic hydrocarbons | Good |
| Greases and Oils | Good |
| Halogenated Hydrocarbons | Good |
| Halogens | Fair |
| Ketones | Good |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Coefficient of friction | 0.42 |
| Hardness - Rockwell | E52-99 |
| Elongation at break( % ) | Aug-70 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 2.0 – 3.0 |
| Izod impact strength( J m⁻¹ ) | 80 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 70-150 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Dielectric constant @1MHz | 3.4 |
| Dissipation factor @ 1kHz | 0.0018 |
| Dielectric strength( kV mm⁻¹ ) | 154 – 303 |
| Surface resistivity( Ohm/sq ) | 10¹⁶ |
| Volume resistivity( Ohmcm ) | 10¹⁸ |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Flammability | V0 |
| Radiation resistance | Good |
| Refractive index | 1.66 |
| Resistance to Ultra-violet | Poor |
| Limiting oxygen index( % ) | 53 |
| Water absorption - over 24 hours( % ) | 0.2-2.9 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 1.42 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Heat-deflection temperature - 1.8MPa( C ) | 360 |
| Lower working temperature( C ) | -270 |
| Upper working temperature( C ) | 250-320 |
| Specific heat( J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹ ) | 1090 |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 0.1-0.35@23°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 30-60 |
Tolerances
| Thickness | ±20% |
|---|