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PEEK, why do you sell it so expensively

Category: Company News, News Date: 2017-02-21 Reading volume: 119

PEEK (Polyetheretherketone)

PEEK is a relatively slow-growing special engineering plastic and is expensive. It was successfully developed and commercialized by the British ICI company in 1981. PEEK is a semi-crystalline polymer with excellent comprehensive performance. It can replace metal materials in most occasions and is mainly used in aerospace, military equipment, nuclear power, medical equipment, electronic semiconductors and other fields. PEEK is expensive. Generally, domestic PEEK costs several hundred yuan per kilogram, while imported PEEK costs more than a thousand yuan per kilogram. The high cost of PEEK is inseparable from its outstanding performance. Compared with other resin materials, PEEK performs very well in high temperature resistance, mechanical properties, stability, corrosion resistance, aging resistance, processing performance, etc. Its main properties are as follows:

High temperature resistance

PEEK is one of the most heat-resistant thermoplastic materials available, with a melting point of 343°C and a long-term use temperature of 260°C certified by UL in the United States. It can still maintain excellent mechanical properties even when the temperature reaches 300°C. The heat deformation temperature of PEEK is 135~160°C, the heat deformation temperature of 20% glass fiber reinforced PEEK is 286°C, and the heat deformation temperature of 30% glass fiber reinforced PEEK is 300°C. 6951488242356381

Comparison of long-term use temperature of different resins

Heat aging resistance

PEEK has outstanding thermal aging properties. The picture below shows the performance retention rate of VICTREX450G after thermal aging at 200°C and 310°C. Even if it is thermally aged for 10,000 hours in steam at 200°C, the tensile strength, quality and appearance of PEEK will not deteriorate. Significant changes.Good mechanical properties

PEEK has excellent mechanical properties and is a material that combines toughness and rigidity among all resins. PEEK has high rigidity, and its strength and fatigue resistance are comparable to those of some metals and alloy materials. Even at high temperatures, PEEK can maintain high strength, with a bending strength of up to 24 MPa at 200°C and a bending strength and compression strength of up to 12~13 MPa at 250°C. It is particularly suitable for manufacturing components that work continuously at high temperatures. PEEK Mechanical Properties

PEEK has a small linear expansion coefficient (close to that of metal aluminum) and good dimensional stability. In addition, PEEK also has good creep resistance and can withstand great stress during its service life without significant elongation due to the extension of time.

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PEEK impact performance comparison

Wear-resistant self-lubricating

PEEK resin itself has excellent self-lubrication and wear resistance. The friction coefficient of the filled resin can be reduced to 0.15, and the wear is extremely low, which can achieve oil-free lubrication and can be used in many harsh environments such as high temperature, high load, and high speed. PEEK polymer and its composite materials have wear resistance and are excellent bearing materials.

Chemical resistance

In addition to the corrosion of strong oxidizing acids such as high concentrations of concentrated sulfuric acid, PEEK is resistant to chemicals and can maintain good chemical stability even at higher temperatures. 7081488242476605

Comparison of chemical resistance of PEEK

Hydrolysis resistance

PEEK has good hydrolysis resistance, and its saturated water absorption rate at 23°C is only 0.5%. Among all engineering plastics, PEEK has the best hot water resistance and steam resistance. It can be used for a long time in 200°C steam, or for a short time in 300°C high-pressure steam. 2991488242489153

PEEK hydrolysis resistance

Electrical insulation

PEEK resin is an ideal electrical insulator, which can maintain good electrical insulation performance under harsh working conditions such as high temperature, high pressure and high humidity. Usually, its volume resistivity can reach 10 to the 15th-16th power Ω·cm, dielectric constant is 3.2~3.3F/m, dielectric loss is 0.0016 at 1kHz, breakdown voltage is 17Kv, and arc resistance is 175V.

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Good processability

PEEK has a high thermal decomposition temperature and good fluidity at high temperatures, so it has good processing performance and can be processed in a variety of ways: injection molding, extrusion molding, compression molding, blow molding, melt spinning, rotational molding, powder spraying, etc.

Radiation resistance

PEEK has a strong resistance to gamma radiation, which exceeds that of polystyrene, a general resin with good radiation resistance. For example, high-performance wires made of PEEK resin can still maintain good insulation capabilities when the gamma radiation dose reaches 1100 Mrad. 9021564479693627

Oxidative gamma irradiation doses that produce a slight reduction in the material’s bending properties

Flame retardant, low smoke

PEEK has excellent flame retardancy and self-extinguishing properties. Without the use of additives, the flammability rating of a 1.45mm thick PEEK sample is UL94V-0; the flammability rating of a 3.2mm thick PEEK sample is UL94 5-V. Even when burning, the amount of smoke and toxic gases produced is extremely small, far lower than other types of resins.

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