Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a semicrystalline thermoplastic polymer used for engineering applications. Developed in the late 1970s, it was first used as a high-temperature resistant material for cable insulation. It is now used in numerous applications where high thermal properties are required—its high thermal stability allows PEEK material to be used continuously at a high temperature of up to 482° F/250° C for a long time and almost 750° F/400° C for a short time.
PEEK material is light weight, stiff, and has excellent mechanical strength and dimensional stability. It also has good combustion resistance, good corrosion resistance, and good resistance to x-rays and Beta and gamma rays. Its excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties are retained in high temperature applications, making it particularly useful in the medical/pharmaceutical, aircraft and aerospace, fluid handling, electrical/electronics manufacturing, automotive, food processing, and petroleum industries.
