Properties and Processing of Unfilled Polyaryletherketones

Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) are generally described as high-temperature polymers. However, most PAEK applications rely on a combination of properties which extend well beyond temperature performance. Having said that, most high-performance polymers are also high-temperature polymers and there are good reasons why that would be so. For example, it is difficult to have excellent frictional wear performance in a polymer that melts at low temperatures. 

Relative ease of processing is a property of PAEK which is often taken for granted. However, if PAEK were as hard to process as some polyimides or fluoropolymers then their market would be a lot smaller. PAEK are justifiably described as the highest performance true thermoplastic materials. 

---