PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone) material has the following notable characteristics:
1. High temperature resistance
It can be used continuously at temperatures up to 260°C and withstand short-term instantaneous temperatures over 300°C. Its glass transition temperature is 143°C, and its melting point is about 334°C, maintaining stable mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy in high-temperature environments.
2. Excellent mechanical properties
It has high strength, high rigidity, and good toughness, with tensile strength reaching 90-170 MPa, flexural modulus ranging from 3.6 to 11.3 GPa, and outstanding fatigue resistance, making it suitable for applications requiring high strength and lightweight design.
3. Chemical resistance
It exhibits strong resistance to acids, bases, organic solvents, hydraulic oils, fuels, and other chemicals, dissolving only in concentrated sulfuric acid. Its chemical resistance is comparable to nickel steel, suitable for corrosive environments in chemical, petroleum, and automotive industries.
4. Self-lubricating and wear resistance
It has good sliding properties with a low friction coefficient (0.15-0.35). With modifications by carbon fiber, graphite, or PTFE fillers, its wear resistance is significantly improved, suitable for long-term use under high temperature and heavy load conditions, ideal for bearings, seals, gears, and other wear-resistant components.
5. Flame retardancy
It is self-extinguishing and can achieve UL94 V-0 flame retardant standard without adding flame retardants. It produces very little smoke and toxic gas when burning, meeting strict fire safety requirements.
6. Hydrolysis resistance
It has very low water absorption (saturated water absorption about 0.4%), excellent hot water and high-pressure steam resistance, suitable for long-term use in high-temperature and high-pressure steam at 200°C, applicable in steam sterilization, water treatment, and other scenarios.
7. Biocompatibility
Non-toxic and harmless, it meets medical-grade standards, has good compatibility with human tissues and bones, and its elastic modulus is close to that of human bone, effectively alleviating stress shielding. It is commonly used in artificial joints, orthopedic implants, and medical devices.
8. Electrical insulation
It maintains stable electrical insulation under high temperature, high humidity, and high frequency conditions, with a low dielectric constant (about 3.2) and volume resistivity up to 10¹⁷ Ω·cm, suitable for electronics, electrical, and semiconductor applications requiring high insulation.
9. Good processability
It has good high-temperature flow properties and can be processed by injection molding, extrusion, compression molding, 3D printing, and other methods, making it easy to manufacture complex-shaped parts, with no gas emissions during processing.
10. Weather and radiation resistance
Resistant to UV, ozone, and weathering; also resists gamma rays, X-rays, and other radiation, suitable for extreme environments such as aerospace and nuclear industries. The comprehensive performance of PEEK makes it a representative high-performance engineering plastic, widely used in aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, energy, and other high-end fields, making it an ideal material to ｒｅｐｌａｃｅ metals and traditional plastics.