Polyetheretherketone was first developed by Imperial Chemicals (I CI) in 1977. It was officially sold as VICTREX® PEEK in 1982. In 1993, VICTREX acquired the ICI production plant as an independent company. Victrex owns the market. The most widely used polyaryletherketone products currently have an annual capacity of 4,250 tons. In addition, the third plant of VICTREX® polyaryletherketone, which has an annual output of 2,900 tons, will be put into operation in early 2015, when the capacity will exceed 7,000 t/a.
First, performance brief
PEEK is the most important product of polyaryletherketones. Its special molecular structure gives the polymer high temperature resistance, excellent mechanical properties, good self-lubricity, easy processing, chemical corrosion resistance, flame retardancy, peeling resistance, radiation resistance. Excellent performance, stable insulation, hydrolysis resistance and easy processing. It is currently considered to be the best thermoplastic engineering plastic.
Table 1 Conventional properties of VICTREX PEEK polymer
High temperature resistance
VICTREX PEEK polymeric materials and blends typically have a glass transition temperature of 143 ° C, a melting point of 343 ° C, a heat denaturation temperature of up to 335 ° C (ISO 75 Af, carbon fiber filled), and a continuous use temperature of 260 ° C (UL746B, no filling).
2. Wear resistance
VICTREX PEEK polymer material has excellent friction and wear resistance, especially wear-resistant modified friction grade grades, exhibiting excellent wear resistance over a wide range of pressures, speeds, temperatures and contact surface roughness. Sex.
3. Chemical resistance
VICTREX PEEK polymer material has similar corrosion resistance to nickel steel, excellent corrosion resistance in most chemical environments, and excellent chemical resistance even in high temperature environments.
4. Fire smoke and non-toxic
VICTREX PEEK polymer material is very stable, 1.5mm sample, can achieve UL94-V0 grade without flame retardant. The composition and inherent purity of this material will only produce a very small amount of smoke and poison gas in case of fire.
5. Hydrolysis resistance
VICTREX PEEK polymeric materials and blends are resistant to chemical attack by water or high pressure steam. Parts made from this material maintain high levels of mechanical properties when used continuously in water at elevated temperatures and pressures.
6. Excellent electrical properties
VICTREX PEEK polymer materials maintain good electrical performance over a wide range of frequencies and temperatures.
In addition, VICTREX PEEK polymer materials are also highly pure, environmentally friendly and easy to process.
Second, research on production status
Since its successful development, PEEK has been widely favored by its own excellent performance, and has rapidly become a new research hotspot. A series of chemical and physical modification of PEEK has been carried out, which further broadens the application field of PEEK.
Chemical modification
Chemical modification is to change the molecular structure and regularity of the polymer by introducing special functional groups or small molecules, such as: changing the ratio of ether ketone groups in the main chain or introducing other groups in the main chain, branching and crosslinking, introduction Side chain groups, block copolymerization and random copolymerization, etc., change their thermodynamic properties.
VICTREX® HTTM, VICTREX®STTM are PEK, PEKEKK, respectively, to improve the high temperature resistance of the polymer by changing the E/K ratio.
2. Physical modification
Compared with chemical modification, physical modification is more widely used in practical applications, including filling reinforcement, blend modification, surface modification, etc.
1) Fill enhancement
The most common filler reinforcement is fiber reinforcement, including glass fiber, carbon fiber reinforcement and aramid fiber reinforcement. Experiments have shown that glass fiber, carbon fiber and aramid fiber have good affinity with PEEK, so it is often chosen as filler to enhance PEEK. , made of high-performance composite materials, improve the strength and service temperature of PEEK resin. HMF-Grades is a new carbon fiber-filled composite material introduced by VICTREX. This material is better than the current high-strength carbon fiber filled VICTREX PEEK series. Its fatigue resistance, easy to process and excellent mechanical properties.
In order to reduce friction, reduce wear, etc., it is often improved by adding small molecules such as PTFE and graphite. Wear Grades is a special modification of VICTREX for environments with high wear resistance requirements such as bearings.
2) Blending modification
The blending of PEEK with organic polymer materials with higher glass transition temperature not only improves the thermal properties of the composites, but also reduces the production cost, and also has a great influence on its mechanical properties.
VICTREX®MAX-SeriesTM is a blend of VICTREX PEEK polymer materials and authentic EXTEM® UH thermoplastic polyimide (TPI) resins based on SABIC Innovative Plastics. High Performance MAX SeriesTM Polymerization The material has excellent heat resistance and is designed to meet the growing demand for PEEK polymeric materials that are more resistant to high temperatures.
VICTREX® T Series is a patented blend of VICTREX PEEK polymeric materials and Celazole® polybenzimidazole (PBI). It can be melt processed and still meets the required strength and wear resistance under the most severe high temperature conditions. Sex, hardness, creep and thermal properties.
3) Surface modification
VICTREX and Wacker (a leading manufacturer of liquid silicones) have shown that VICTREX PEEK polymer and silicone are both soft and soft, combining the advantages of both, while also having the adhesion of other engineering plastics. With PEEK components as inserts, overmolded with liquid silicone rubber, or with two-component injection molding technology, excellent adhesion is achieved. VICTREX PEEK injection molding mold temperature is 180 ° C, using its latent heat can make silicone rubber fast Curing, therefore reducing the overall injection cycle, the advantages of two-component injection molding technology is here.
3. Other
1) VICOTETM coating
To compensate for the performance shortcomings of today's various coating technologies, VICTREX has introduced a PEEK-based coating, a VICOTETM coating. For harsh applications exposed to extreme conditions such as high temperatures, chemical corrosion and wear, VICOTETM coatings have Excellent resistance to high temperatures, abrasion, strength, durability and scratch resistance, as well as numerous high performance advantages, whether used in industrial, automotive, food processing, semiconductor, electronics or pharmaceutical industries, using VICOTETM coatings, both It can extend the life of the application, improve the performance and function of the product, reduce the overall system cost, and also help to improve the design freedom, and thus achieve product differentiation.
2) APTIVTM film
APTIVTM film has a unique combination of properties and has a unique set of outstanding properties inherent in VICTREX PEEK polymer. It is one of the most versatile high performance film products available today. The new APTIV film is versatile and suitable for a wide range of applications, including speakerphones for mobile phones. Consumer speaker diaphragm, wire and cable insulation and winding sheath, pressure transducer and sensor diaphragm, industrial and electronic products wear surface, electrical substrate and aviation insulation felt.
Third, application areas
Since its launch on the market, PEEK has been widely used in aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, industrial, semiconductor and medical fields.
Aerospace
Aerospace is the first application area developed by PEEK. It is a special field in the aviation field. It usually requires flexible processing, low processing cost and light-duty materials. PEEK is extremely sturdy, chemically inert and flame retardant, and easy to process. The advantages of extremely small tolerance parts, can replace aluminum and other metal materials to manufacture a variety of aircraft parts.
Inside the aircraft, successful cases include harness clamps and pipe clamps, impeller blades, cabin door handles, insulating covers, composite fasteners, cable ties, wire harnesses, corrugated bushings, etc.; external radomes, Drop frame hubcap, manhole cover, fairing bracket, etc.
In addition, PEEK resin can also be used to make battery slots, bolts, nuts and rocket engine parts for rockets.
2. Automotive industry
At present, the automotive industry is increasingly demanding the duality of vehicle weight, cost minimization and product performance maximization, especially the pursuit of car comfort and stability, corresponding air-conditioning, power window, airbag and ABS brake system. The weight of other equipment is also increasing. Using PEEK resin's good thermodynamic properties, friction resistance, low density and easy processing, the auto parts are manufactured, the processing cost is greatly reduced, and the weight can be reduced by up to 90%. Long service life, PEEK is used as a substitute for metal stainless steel and titanium for the manufacture of engine inner cover materials, manufacturing automotive bearings, gaskets, seals, clutch gear rings and other components, as well as in the transmission of cars, brakes And a lot of applications in air conditioning systems.
3. Electronics industry
VICTREX PEEK's high temperature resistance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, low volatility, low precipitation, low moisture absorption, environmentally friendly flame retardant, dimensional stability, flexible processing, etc., in computers, mobile phones, circuit boards, printers, LEDs, batteries, switches, Connection plugs, hard drives and other electronic devices are widely used.
4. Energy industry
Choosing the right materials is often seen as one of the key factors in the successful development of the energy industry. In recent years, VICTREX PEEK has become increasingly popular in the energy sector to improve operational performance and reduce the risk of downtime associated with component failure.
VICTREX PEEK's own high heat resistance, radiation resistance, hydrolysis resistance, self-lubrication, chemical resistance and excellent electrical properties are increasingly used by the energy industry, such as subsea integrated wiring harnesses, wire and cable, electrical connectors, downhole sensors, Bearings, bushings, gears, support rings and other products are used in oil and gas, hydropower, geothermal, wind power, nuclear energy, and solar energy.
APTIVTM film and VICOTETM coatings are also widely used in the industry.
5. Other
In the mechanical industry, PEEK resin is commonly used to make compressor valve discs, piston rings, seals and various chemical pump bodies, valve parts. Using this resin instead of stainless steel to make the impeller of the vortex pump can significantly reduce the degree of wear and noise. , to extend its service life. In addition, because PEEK resin meets the specifications of the pipe workpiece material, it can still be bonded with various adhesives at high temperatures, so modern connectors will be another potential application. market.
The semiconductor industry is moving toward larger wafers, smaller chips, narrower lines and linewidth sizes. VI CTREx PEEK polymer materials are evident in wafer fabrication, front-end processing, processing and inspection, and back-end processing. The advantages.
In the medical industry, PEEK resin can withstand up to 3000 cycles of autoclaving at 134 ° C. This feature makes it suitable for the production of surgical and dental equipment with high sterilization requirements and repeated use. PEEK resin in hot water, It can exhibit high mechanical strength, good stress resistance and hydrolytic stability under the conditions of steam, solvent and chemical reagents. It can be used to manufacture various medical instruments that require high temperature steam sterilization. PEEK is not only light in weight, but also non-toxic. , corrosion resistance and other advantages, or the material closest to the human skeleton, can be organically combined with the body, so the use of PEK resin instead of metal to make human bones is another important application in the medical field.
Fourth, the outlook
With the development of science and technology, people's requirements for materials will become higher and higher. Especially in the current shortage of energy, weight reduction and cost reduction are issues that every enterprise must consider. To replace steel with plastic is the inevitable development of future materials. Trends, there will be more and more demand for PEEK's 'all-round' special engineering plastics, and the application fields will become wider and wider.