BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC has released IPC-HDBK-850, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Potting Materials and Encapsulation Processes Used for Electronics Printed Circuit Board Assembly.

This handbook covers a range of protective materials for printed circuit boards, providing designers and users with a tool to help select encapsulants for printed board assemblies.

IPC-HDBK-850 includes information on choosing, mixing, applying and dispensing for each of the materials listed. In addition, it explains the techniques that should be used when repairs are necessary.

“Nobody has addressed these materials before,” said Barry Ritchie of Dow Corning Corp., who chairs the IPC Potting and Encapsulation Task Group. “As circuit technology gets smaller, with technologies like fine pitch and chip on board, conductors are so close that any moisture can cause a failure. Reliability requirements are also changing for many types of products like portables and in high-reliability fields like aircraft, military consumer and automotive technologies.”

The handbook contains 68 pages and features more than 50 illustrations.

For more information, visit www.ipc.org/HDBK-850.