Alexei Volkov
PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is a high-performance engineering plastic with exceptional chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability. It is often referred to as the powerhouse polymer due to its unique combination of properties that make it suitable for a wide range of applications across various industries. PEEK has excellent heat resistance, serving continuously at temperatures of up to 500° F and maintaining its stiffness at elevated temperatures. It is also resistant to steam, water, seawater, and various organic solvents. PEEK is widely used in demanding applications, including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, food and beverage processing, semiconductors, and biomedical fields.
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What You'll Learn
PEEK's high heat resistance
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is a high-performance engineering plastic with excellent heat resistance. It can operate at high temperatures of up to 260°C (480°F) and has a melting point of around 341°C-343°C (646°F-662°F). This makes it suitable for applications that require high-performance plastics, such as in the aerospace, automotive, and chemical industries.
The processing conditions used to mould PEEK can influence its mechanical properties. It has a glass transition temperature of around 143°C (289°F) and is highly resistant to thermal degradation. PEEK's strength remains almost the same as its initial state even when used at 260°C for 5000 hours, demonstrating its excellent thermal stability.
Filled grades of PEEK, such as carbon-filled and glass-filled, offer enhanced mechanical and thermal properties compared to basic PEEK material. They exhibit improved heat deflection temperatures, elastic modulus, and hardness, making them suitable for applications requiring high-temperature performance.
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PEEK's strength and durability
PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is a high-performance engineering plastic with exceptional strength and durability. Its unique molecular structure and manufacturing process allow it to surpass the mechanical properties of many other engineering plastics. PEEK's strength and durability make it ideal for demanding applications in a wide range of industries.
One of PEEK's key strengths is its high tensile strength, which can reach over 100 MPa, making it stronger than many metals. This allows PEEK to withstand extremely high-stress loads without failure. PEEK's compressive strength is also impressive, exceeding 200 MPa, which is far greater than that of common plastics. This makes PEEK well-suited for applications requiring high-pressure load-bearing, such as gears, bearings, and mechanical components.
PEEK also exhibits excellent rigidity, with a high Young's modulus of up to 4 GPa, several times higher than many other engineering plastics. This makes PEEK advantageous in applications requiring high-pressure or bending resistance, such as structural supports and mechanical devices. PEEK's strength and stiffness properties are further enhanced when reinforced with carbon fiber, resulting in exceptional wear resistance and load-carrying capabilities.
In addition to its outstanding strength, PEEK offers unparalleled durability. It is highly resistant to thermal degradation and can withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures, with a working temperature range of -50°C to 250°C and a short-term maximum service temperature of 310°C. PEEK also demonstrates excellent chemical and corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures, making it suitable for challenging environments in industries such as aerospace, oil and gas, food and beverage processing, and semiconductors.
Furthermore, PEEK's durability is evident in its ability to maintain stiffness at high temperatures, with continuous use up to 338°F (170°C). It also offers hydrolysis resistance to steam, water, and seawater. PEEK's exceptional durability makes it a top recommendation for high-performance applications, showcasing its strength and durability in the most demanding environments.
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PEEK's chemical resistance
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is a high-performance engineering plastic with exceptional chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability. It is widely regarded as the highest-performance thermoplastic material currently available. PEEK is resistant to steam, water, and seawater and harsh chemicals. It offers hydrolysis resistance to steam, water, and seawater.
PEEK is one of the few plastics compatible with ultra-high vacuum applications, making it suitable for aerospace, automotive, and chemical industries. It is also used in medical implants, such as skull reconstruction and spinal implants, due to its biocompatibility and high strength and modulus, which approximate human bone. PEEK is also used in spinal fusion devices and reinforcing rods.
PEEK has a high resistance to thermal degradation and can maintain its stiffness at elevated temperatures, with a continuous use temperature of up to 338°F (170°C) and a melting point of around 343°C (649.4°F to 662°F). It has a glass transition temperature of around 143°C (289°F). Some grades of PEEK have a useful operating temperature of up to 250°C (482°F), while others can serve continuously at temperatures of 500°F and have a melting point of over 700°F.
PEEK is compatible with almost any of the solvents used in HPLC. The only solvents that will attack PEEK are concentrated nitric acid and sulphuric acids. However, PEEK tubing can safely withstand 20-30% nitric acid when passivating a system. Methylene chloride, DMSO, and THF may cause swelling in PEEK. It is also attacked by halogens and strong Brønsted and Lewis acids, as well as some halogenated compounds and aliphatic hydrocarbons at high temperatures.
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PEEK's medical applications
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is a high-performance engineering plastic with a unique chemical structure that makes it incredibly strong and dimensionally stable. It has excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties, even at high temperatures. Its melting point is 343°C (649.4°F or 662°F). It is also highly resistant to radiation, allowing for easy sterilisation. These properties make it suitable for a wide range of applications, including in the medical field.
In medicine, PEEK is used for its biocompatibility—it is a proven biomaterial that is safe for use with in vivo applications and shows no signs of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, or immunogenetics. It has been used successfully for over 20 years. PEEK is also used in medical applications because it behaves much more like bone in how it flexes and bears weight. Its flexural modulus is favourable when compared to metals such as titanium and stainless steel. It does not cause stress shielding in nearby bone, which is a common problem with metal implants. Its pure radiolucency also makes it easy for surgical teams to track the positioning of implants and detect complications.
PEEK is used in medical implants, such as creating partial replacement skulls in neurosurgical applications, spinal implants, and reinforcing rods. It is also used in spinal fusion devices, craniomaxillofacial reconstruction, and in load-bearing applications such as total knee arthroplasty. PEEK can be processed using injection moulding or extrusion methods, and it is technically feasible to process it into filament form for 3D printing of medical devices such as dentures.
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PEEK's use in engineering
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is a high-performance engineering plastic with exceptional chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and excellent dimensional stability. It is a super engineering plastic with outstanding characteristics. It is used in a wide variety of applications, including components for semiconductor equipment, aerospace parts, bushings, bearings, seals, pumps, valves, food processing machinery, and more.
Aerospace, Oil and Gas, and Food and Beverage Processing
PEEK plastic has a proven track record in challenging environments such as aerospace, oil and gas, and food and beverage processing. In these industries, PEEK is used for its high-temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength. For example, in the aerospace industry, PEEK is used for bearings, piston parts, pumps, and compressor plate valves. In the food and beverage industry, PEEK is used in food processing machinery and is FDA compliant.
Medical Devices and Implants
PEEK is widely used in medical devices and implants due to its biocompatibility and high strength. It is used in spinal implants, skull reconstruction, spinal fusion devices, and reinforcing rods. PEEK is also used in medical devices such as high-performance liquid chromatography columns and electrical cable insulation. The ability to process PEEK using 3D printing and CNC milling machines allows for the production of custom medical devices such as dentures.
Automotive and Chemical Industries
PEEK is suitable for the automotive and chemical industries due to its high-temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and low thermal conductivity. In these industries, PEEK is used for electrical cable insulation, compressor plate valves, and seals. PEEK's ability to withstand harsh chemicals and high temperatures makes it ideal for use in demanding applications within these industries.
Other Applications
In addition to the above, PEEK is used in a range of other applications, including semiconductor equipment, bushings, bearings, pumps, valves, and more. PEEK's high-performance characteristics, such as high tensile strength and impact resistance, make it suitable for demanding applications across various industries.
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Frequently asked questions
PEEK stands for polyether ether ketone, a high-performance engineering plastic with excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties. It is a lightweight, strong, and wear-resistant thermoplastic.
PEEK plastic has high tensile strength, flexural strength, and stiffness. It is resistant to bending, compressive stress, and thermal degradation. PEEK also has excellent dimensional stability and can maintain its properties in high-temperature environments.
PEEK plastic is used in a wide range of industries due to its unique properties. Some common applications include aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, food and beverage processing, semiconductors, and medical implants.
There are three commonly available types of PEEK plastics: PEEK Natural, PEEK Glass Filled, and Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced PEEK. Each type offers varying levels of strength, stiffness, and electrical and thermal insulation characteristics.
