Definition

Rogers RT/duroid 5880 is the industry gold standard for lowest-loss RF applications. Dk 2.20 ±0.02 at 10 GHz and Df 0.0009 (the lowest for reinforced PTFE) make it the default for demanding aerospace and satellite systems. Frequency range spans DC to 40+ GHz. The glass-reinforced PTFE construction requires sodium naphthalene treatment or plasma for PTH adhesion. CTE runs 31/48/237 ppm/°C (X/Y/Z), so thermal cycling reliability needs attention. RT/duroid 5880LZ variant achieves Dk 1.96 (lowest available copper-clad laminate) at lower density for weight-critical aerospace. Cost runs 8-15x FR-4. Reserve RT/duroid 5880 for satellite communications, phased arrays, and applications where every 0.001 of Df matters.