Polyaryletherketone (PAEK - Economic aspects

Polyaryletherketones (PAEK for polyaryletherketone) are polymers comprising a chain of phenyl compounds bridged by oxygen and carbonyl groups, or ketones.

PAEKs head a group of polymers based on highly stable phenyl compounds. The main ones are :

• PEEK, polyetheretherketone, by far the most important ;

• PEK, polyetherketone ;

• PEEKK, polyetherketoneketone ;

• PEKEKK, polyetherketoneetherketoneketone ;

• PEKK, polyaryletherketone.

All these materials are often considered more as different grades of the same broad family than as very distinct materials.

The main characteristic of these materials is their resistance to very high temperatures, in continuous use over 250°C. These are the polymers with the reputation of being used as a last resort when all others have proved inadequate.

For the structure, application and properties of PAEK, please refer to [A3395] and [AM3394] .