PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone)

High-performance engineering thermoplastic for aerospace and implants.

Core Principles & Analysis

• First polymerized by ICI in 1978 and commercialized as Victrex, it melts at about 343 °C and serves continuously near 250 °C.
• It withstands repeated steam autoclaving and gamma sterilization, rare among thermoplastics, enabling reusable surgical instruments.
• Radiolucent PEEK spinal-fusion cages show up cleanly on X-rays where titanium cannot, and carbon-fiber PEEK brackets replace metal in aircraft.

Specifications & Metrics

• DENSITY: 1.32 g/cm³
• YIELD STRENGTH: 100 MPa
• HARDNESS: M99 Rockwell