PEEK

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a semi-crystalline high performance engineering thermoplastic. This rigid opaque (gray) material offers a unique combination of mechanical properties, chemical resistance, wear, fatigue and creep, as well as resistance to exceptionally high temperatures.

The polymer belongs to the family of polyketone polymers (PEK, PEEK, PEEKK, PEKK, PEKEKK) and, among them, PEEK is the most widely used and manufactured on a large scale.

The PEEK can be processed by conventional methods, such as injection molding, extrusion, compression molding, etc.

Thanks to these properties, PEEK and its compounds are widely used in aerospace, automotive, structural, high temperature and biomedical applications.

Despite the high price of the polymer, the added value that PEEK materials provide by offering the possibility of manufacturing parts includes light weight, strength or hardness and is able to survive for longer in hostile environments.

It is widely used in demanding applications such as aerospace, automotive, electrical, medical, etc. Due to its robustness, PEEK is used to manufacture items, including bearings, piston parts, pumps, HPLC columns, compressor plate valves and cable insulation.

PEEK offers weight and noise reduction in automotive applications. With the growing trend of miniature engine compartments, PEEK offers a solution to replace metals and offers weight reduction, noise reduction and functional integration.

The most important performance benefits of polyetheretherketone are improved interaction with the dry and lubricated surface, outstanding mechanical performance over a wide temperature range, ease of processing and excellent fatigue properties.

Aerospace: PEEK polymers and their compounds are replacing aluminum and other metals in various parts of airplanes. A large number of high volume components with fine tolerances can be formed and used profitably without assembly or modification. In the aerospace market, PEEK finds use in:

• PEEK and its compounds replace metal in airplane parts
• Critical engine parts, as the polymer can withstand high temperatures and the tribological interaction of dry and lubricated material contacts
• On the outside parts of the aircraft, PEEK provides excellent resistance to rain erosion.
• In the interior components, its inherent flame retardant and the low emission of smoke and toxic gases reduce the risks in case of fire.
• The polymer is used to manufacture contoured tubes to protect fiber optic cables and filaments for aircraft electrical systems.

Medical and health care: polyethetherketone offers innovative and cost-effective parts with excellent resistance to heat, heat, chemical and chemical components. Its applications in health mainly consist of dental instruments, endoscopes and dialyzers.

• PEEK is replacing aluminum with the handles of dental syringes and sterile boxes that contain the root canal files.
• The polymer can withstand up to 3,000 autoclave sterilization cycles in which temperatures typically reach 134 ° C
• It maintains excellent mechanical resistance, excellent resistance to stress cracking and hydrolytic stability in the presence of hot water, steam, solvents and chemicals.
• It offers a better biocompatibility of loading implants.

Electrical / electronic: polyether ether ketone has excellent electrical properties, which makes it an ideal electrical insulator.

• Polyetheretherketone has excellent electrical properties
• PEEK provides parts with long-term operating reliability in widely fluctuating temperature, pressure and frequency ranges
• Its inherent purity, combined with excellent mechanical and chemical stability, minimizes contamination and maximizes safety during handling of silicone wafers.
• Outstanding thermal properties allow PEEK polymer parts to withstand the high temperatures associated with welding processes

Some interesting examples of current applications include coaxial connector plugs used in hands-free kits, surface adjustment potentiometers, which are electromechanical devices, known as SMD, designed to correct voltage or resistance errors on printed circuit boards, and as insulators for connection plugs in underwater environment control equipment.

Other key markets:

• PEEK polymers outperform metals and other materials in many components used in the industrial, chemical and processing industries.
• PEEK polymers are now being used in food contact applications, after the approval of the Food and Drug Administration.
• PEEK in industrial applications PEEK in food applications
• PEEK is replacing stainless steel on drive wheels for regenerative pumps. It provides a significant reduction in wear, reduced noise levels and more consistent operating properties.
• Polyether ketone also offers greater application potential in tube and hose couplings in modern connector technology. They can withstand exposure to pressures as high as 25,000 psi