Introduction

PES is a high temperature amorphous engineering thermoplastic with excellent thermal

stability, an ability to withstand loads at temperatures of up to 180
o
C for long periods
and an ability to retain many mechanical and electrical properties at temperatures up to
210
o
C. The material is tough and rigid at all temperatures to 210
o
C. Creep performance
is good especially when glass reinforced.
Products are dimensionally stable at temperatures up to 210
o
C.

Typical Applications
Automotive: Cooling system fans and other high temperature applications.
Electrical engineering: Relay and switch bodies, injection moulded printed circuit
boards, lamp reflectors.
Domestic: Hot water meters and valves, electrically heated styling brushes.
Medicine: Laboratory centrifuges, lamps and reflectors, dental equipment.
Others: Aviation electrical components, weapons systems components, plastic bearing
cages, radomes, oven components.

Physical and Mechanical Properties
General physical properties
PES is a high temperature engineering thermoplastic that retains many properties up to
high temperatures (in the region of 210
o
C) but also retains many properties down to -
70
o
C.
Mechanical properties
Creep performance is good to high temperatures (especially when glass reinforced).

Approximate Value Property
PES PES (30% GF)
Tensile strength 80 - 105 MN/m
2
>105 MN/m
2

Tensile Modulus 2-3 GN/m
2
>4 GN/m
2

Elongation at Break 50 - 100 % <10 %
Flexural Strength 100 - 150 MN/m
2
150 - 200 MN/m
2

Notched Impact Strength 3 - 10 kJ/m
2
3 - 10 kJ/m
2

Specific Heat N/A N/A
Glass Transition Temperature 230
o
C 230
o
C
Heat Deflection Temperature 200 - 250
o
C 200 - 250
o
C
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 5 - 10 x 10
-5
/
o
C <5 x 10
-5
/
o
C
Long Term Service Temperature 150 - 200
o
C 150 - 200
o
C
Specific Gravity 1.2 to 1.4 1.4 to 1.6
Mould Shrinkage 0.01 - 0.025 m/m 0.005 - 0.01 m/m
Water Absorption 0.1 - 0.5 % (50% rh) 0.1 - 0.5 % (50% rh)
Transparency Transparent Opaque

Thermal, Electrical and Optical Properties
Thermal properties
PES has a UL temperature index of 180
o
C and retains dimensional stability to high
temperatures.
Fire behaviour
PES has low flammability and has a UL 94 V-0 rating down to thicknesses of 0.43mm.
Smoke and toxic gas emissions are low during burning.
Electrical properties
PES has excellent electrical insulation properties but tracking resistance is not good
PES is radar transparent.
Optical properties
N/A
Natural colour
Natural colour is translucent amber/brown. Can be dyed for transparent colours or
pigmented for opaque colours.




Chemical Resistance Properties
General
PES is resistant to oils and petrol at high temperatures and is resistant to a wide pH
range of acids and alkalis. It is also resistant to aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohols,
benzene, fats and cleaning and degreasing agents.
PES is not resistant to concentrated mineral acids, ketones, chlorinated and aromatic
hydrocarbons and many organic materials (chloroform, acetone, cyclohexanone, ethyl
acetate etc.).
PES has excellent hydrolysis resistance and can withstand long term loads in contact
with pressurised water at 150
o
C. Glass reinforced grades are particularly good in this
type of application.
PES can be sterilised using most common hospital sterilisation methods.
Weathering and resistance to stress cracking
PES can be used for long term outdoor exposure only when protected by carbon black
pigments or UV stabilisers.
PES Chemical Resistance Chart

Advantages and Limitations
Advantages Limitations
1. Excellent high temperature properties. 1. High cost
2. Excellent creep resistance. 2. Narrow processing window and high
temperatures needed.
3. Good chemical resistance to common
chemicals at elevated temperatures.
3. High levels of moulded in stress
possible.

Processing
PES can be processed using conventional injection moulding and extrusion equipment
and close tolerances can be achieved. Processing temperatures should not be
increased too much otherwise overheating and darkening can occur.
PES should be dried at 150
o
C for 3 hours before processing to give less than 0.04%
water content.
Injection moulding
PES has a high melt viscosity and suffers from burning if the temperature or shear rate
is too high. This gives a narrow processing window and care needs to be taken in
processing to avoid overshearing the material.
Melt temperature of 360
o
C using a screw with an L/D of 20:1. Use a high injection
speed with a low screw speed (to minimise shear rate and shear degradation) and an
injection pressure of 2000 bar /1200 bar. Mould temperature should be around 150
o
C
Sprue removal is by cropping while the material is still hot.
The high processing temperatures can give rise to concerns with moulded-in stress and
it is recommended that mouldings are annealed after moulding at 160 - 200
o
C
Extrusion
Melt temperatures should be in the region of 300 - 360
o
C.
Up to 30% PES can be reground and recycled after drying.

Processing Method Applicable
Injection Moulding Yes.
Extrusion Yes
Extrusion Blow Moulding Yes
Rotational Moulding No
Thermoforming No
Casting Yes
Bending and joining Yes

Finishing
Machining
PES can be machined or cropped.
Surface treatment
PES can be vacuum metallised, electroplated, painted or etched
Welding
PES can be welded by friction, heat and ultrasound welding.
Bonding
Solvent weld with methylene chloride.










Health and Safety
Health and Safety
PES has no significant Health and Safety implications and has been approved for use
in contact with potable water and for food contact.

Other Information
Identification
Sinks in water.
Does not burn easily but gives off white flame and odour of sulphur with little
smoke emission.
Tapping gives metallic ring.



Introduction
PEEK was one of the first of the 'new generation' of engineering thermoplastics
introduced and was developed by ICI in 1977 and first marketed in 1978. The material
is one of the polyaryletherketone family - a group of partially crystalline polymers that
are suitable for use at high temperatures. The polyether ether ketones have repeating
monomers of two ether and ketone groups and PEEK is one of the highest rated
thermoplastic materials in terms of heat resistance. The useful properties of the
material are retained at temperatures as high as 315
o
C.
The materials have excellent chemical resistance, high strength and good resistance to
burning but equally the high cost of these materials makes applications limited to those
where the properties are very necessary.

Typical Applications
Automotive: Piston components, bearing linings.
Electrical engineering: Wire insulation for extremely high temperature applications,
cable couplings and connectors.
Appliances: Handles, cooking equipment.
Medicine: Prosthetics, instruments.
Others: Aircraft parts and wire insulation, pump casings and impellers, monofilament
for production of woven products for filters, belting and meshes.

Physical and Mechanical Properties
General physical properties
PEEK is has greater strength and rigidity than many of the engineering thermoplastics
and is tough and impact resistant over a wide range of temperatures.
Mechanical properties
PEEK has good mechanical properties and these are retained over a wide temperature
range. The co-efficient of friction and wear rate are low over a wide temperature range.

Property Approximate Value
Tensile strength (@23
o
C) 97 MN/m
2

Tensile Modulus ( @ 1% strain @
23
o
C)
3.5 GN/m
2

Elongation at Break (@23
o
C) Up to 60 %
Flexural Strength (@23
o
C) 170 MN/m
2

Notched Impact Strength (@23
o
C) 7.5 kJ/m
2

Specific Heat (Melt) 2.16 kJ/kg
o
C
Glass Transition Temperature 143
o
C
Heat Distortion Temperature 152
o
C
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
< Tg 4.7 x 10
-5
/
o
C
> Tg 10.8 x 10
-5
/
o
C
Long Term Service Temperature Up to 260
o
C
Specific Gravity 1.32
Mould Shrinkage 0.01 - 0.02 m/m
Water Absorption Up to 0.5 % (50% rh)
Transparency Opaque

Thermal, Electrical and Optical Properties
Thermal properties
The thermal oxidative stability of PEEK is excellent and the material has a UL rated
continuous operating temperature of around 250
o
C
Fire behaviour
PEEK has excellent resistance to burning and very low flame spread being rated as UL
94 V-0 for thicknesses down to 2 mm. The LIO (Limiting Oxygen Index) is 35%) and
even when burning the material has very low smoke generation.
Electrical properties
Good dielectric properties with high volume and surface resistivities and good dielectric
strength. These properties are retained at temperatures as high as 200
o
C.
Optical properties
N/A
Natural colour
Grey/brown


Chemical Resistance Properties
General
PEEK has excellent chemical resistance and is extremely resistant to many organic
and inorganic chemicals. It is dissolved or decomposed only by concentrated
anhydrous or strong oxidizing agents.
The material has exceptionally good resistance to hydrolysis in hot water and remains
unaffected after several thousand hours at more than 250
o
C in pressurised water.
Weathering resistance
PEEK is not greatly resistant to UV radiation but has good resistance to beta, gamma
and X-rays.
PEEK Chemical Resistance Chart

Advantages and Limitations
Advantages Limitations
1. Excellent high temperature performance 1. Extremely high cost (even for
for all mechanical properties engineering polymers) but the properties
can sometimes justify this when it
becomes almost the only polymer capable
of being used.
2. Excellent electrical performance at high 2. Limited supplier base.
temperatures.
3. High rigidity at high temperatures.
4. Excellent gamma radiation resistance.
5. Excellent hydrolysis resistance.

Processing
PEEK can be processed on standard processing equipment and the only concern is
that the processing temperatures required are quite high.
Material should be pre-dried at 150
o
C for 3 hours before processing.
Injection moulding
Injection moulding is best screws with an L/D ratio of 18 to 22. Melt temperatures
should be in the range 370 to 400
o
C. Mould temperatures should be in the range 160 to
215
o
C.
Injection pressure is 1500 bar, decreasing to 1000 bar for the second stage. Injection
speed can be high because the material does not suffer from degradation due to
shearing. Screw speed can also be high.
Mouldings do not require any thermal post-treatment.
Extrusion
Extrusion is best with 3 section screws and an L/D ratio of 22 to 30. Melt temperatures
in the range 400 to 430
o
C and feed temperatures of at least 425
o
C are recommended.
Can be reprocessed at up to 30%.

Processing Method Applicable
Injection Moulding Yes.
Extrusion Yes
Extrusion Blow Moulding Yes
Rotational Moulding Yes
Thermoforming Yes
Casting Yes
Bending and joining Yes


Finishing
Machining
PEEK can be machined easily and accurately.
Surface treatment
PEEK can be printed, hot-foiled or treated with most common methods.
Welding
PEEK can be welded by most common thermoplastic welding techniques.
Bonding
PEEK can be bonded using epoxies, cyanoacrylates, polyurethanes or silicones








Health and Safety
Health and Safety
PEEK has no significant Health and Safety implications.

Other Information
Identification
Material has a hard, stiff feel and cannot be cut easily. The high density (1.2 -
1.4) means it sinks in water. Natural colour is grey/brown and colours are
sometimes dulled by this base colour.
Flame is slightly orange with yellow edges. Low smell and small amounts of
smoke.