Learn about PEEK Materials

The full name of PEEK is poly (ether-ether-ketone). PEEK is a polymer composed of repeating units containing one ketone bond and two ether bonds in the main chain structure. They are special polymers and high performance materials. It has physical and chemical properties such as high-temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance. It is a type of semi-crystalline polymer material with a melting point of 334°C, a softening point of 168°C, and a tensile strength of 132~148MPa. It can be used as a high-temperature-resistant structural material and electrical insulation material. It can be combined with glass fiber or carbon fiber to prepare reinforced materials. Generally, a type of polyarylene ether polymer obtained by condensation with aromatic diphenols is used.

The characteristics of PEEK are as follows:
1, Mechanical properties PEEK is a plastic with a balance of toughness and rigidity. In particular, its excellent fatigue resistance to alternating stress is the most outstanding among all plastics and is comparable to alloy materials.

2, Self-lubricating PEEK has outstanding sliding properties among all plastics and is suitable for applications requiring low friction coefficient and wear resistance. In particular, PEEK modified with a certain proportion of carbon fiber and graphite has better self-lubricating properties.

3, Chemical resistance (corrosion resistance) PEEK has excellent chemical resistance. Among common chemicals, only concentrated sulfuric acid can dissolve or destroy it, and its corrosion resistance is similar to that of nickel steel.

4, Flame retardant PEEK is a very stable polymer. A 1.45mm thick sample can reach the highest flame retardant standard without adding any flame retardants.

5, Peeling resistance PEEK has good peeling resistance, so it can be made into thinly coated wires or magnet wires and can be used under harsh conditions.

6, Fatigue resistance PEEK has the best fatigue resistance among all resins.

7, Radiation resistance: The ability to withstand high radiation is very strong, surpassing polystyrene, which has the best radiation resistance among general-purpose resins. It can be made into a high performance that can still maintain good insulation ability when the gamma irradiation dose reaches 1100 Mrad.

8, Hydrolysis resistance PEEK and its composite materials are not chemically affected by water and high-pressure water vapour. Products made of this material can still maintain excellent properties when used continuously in high-temperature and high-pressure water.

Due to the above characteristics, PEEK moulding is often used in the medical and aerospace fields.