PEEK—See Polyether-ether-ketone

In terms of polymer matrices for composite materials, there will be a compromise between solvent and water resistance. Thus non-polar resins are likely to be less resistant to hydrocarbon solvents, which have low polarity, but more resistant to moisture absorption. Polar resins behave in the opposite way. Strongly polar solvents, such as dimethyl sulphoxide or similar, can interact with polar structures in the resin and are difficult to resist. Crystalline thermoplastic polymers are often better for such applications. For example, polyethene will only dissolve in hydrocarbon solvents (of similar solubility parameter) at temperatures above the crystalline melting point. Polar semi-crystalline polymers such as the polyamides or nylons can be dissolved in highly polar solvents, such as cresol, because of a stronger interaction than that between molecules within the crystallites. High performance thermoplastic polymers such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) have been promoted for their resistance to organic solvents (see Table 3.5) [12], The chemical resistance of unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester and urethane resins is indicated in Table 3.6 [15]. 

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