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For the most part, the Tg is an extremely useful yardstick The EP36 series has a Tg of 35C to 40C and a
for the reliability of epoxies as it pertains to temperature. service temperature of up to 500F. Although it
Invariably, a higher Tg material will outperform a lower Tg softens at the Tg, it will maintain the same softness
material in an application involving elevated temperatures.
until the upper temperature limit is reached, while still
However, Tg is not the only consideration for choosing an
retaining its physical, electrical, and thermal properties.
epoxy in a higher temperature application. For example, if
Its forte is withstanding rigorous thermal cycling at
the excursion to higher temperature is relatively short term,
temperatures of up to 500F.
a lower Tg material may perform more than adequately.
Additionally, higher Tg epoxies tend to be very rigid,
although this is not always the case (see sidebar), which Conclusion
can make them less attractive for certain applications. Due to the importance of Tg in assessing epoxy
temperature resistance, it is vital for design engineers
to understand what Tg is and how it is measured. There
are limitations in relying on Tg as the sole indicator of
temperature resistance. The importance of testing epoxies
in the specific context of the application is ultimately the
most significant issue of all.