High-Temperature KetaSpire PEEK XT extends the thermal performance range of PEEK significantly beyond what had been the upper limits of the advanced polymer. Its glass transition temperature of 338°F (170° C) measures 36°F (20°C) higher than traditional unreinforced PEEK, and it retains its strength at higher temperature levels in molded and machined components.
Solvay, who produces the KetaSpire family of ultra-high performance thermoplastics, reports that KetaSpire PEEK XT demonstrates a 400 percent higher tensile modulus and nearly 50 percent higher tensile strength at 320°F (160°C) over traditional PEEK. It also offers an improvement in dielectric strength and volume resistivity for electrical applications in higher temperature environments.
High-Temperature PEEK XT has the characteristic 2:1 ether (E) to ketone (K) ratio of a true PEEK polymer. As a result, the ultra high-performance thermoplastic exhibits the same exceptional wear resistance and mechanical properties associated with traditional PEEK grades. It also has PEEK’s resistance to a broader range of chemicals compared to other polyketones such as PEK, PEKEKK and PAEK which have a somewhat different ether-to-ketone ratio in their polymeric structures,
KetaSpire PEEK XT is available in three high-performance grades. KetaSpire XT-920 XT is the unreinforced grade. For applications requiring higher levels of strength and stiffness, Solvay offers 30% carbon-fiber reinforced KetaSpire XT-920 CF30, and 30% glass-reinforced KetaSpire XT-920 GF30 PEEK.
Specifications –
Shape Availability –
Rod: .5” to 6” diameter
Plate: .25”x4” to 1.25”x12”
Typical Applications for High-Temperature PEEK XT
The KetaSpire XT family of high-performance thermoplastics provide particularly good candidate materials for down-hole and chemical processing equipment components. In NORSOK M710 sour gas testing with 50 days’ exposure to 20% H2S at 230°C, and in brine/HC exposure testing at 300° for 14 days, PEEK XT performed comparably to traditional PEEK, a polymer that has achieved long-standing and widespread acceptance for reliability in the oil and gas industry.
Typical applications for the different High-Temperature PEEK XT grades capitalize on their higher temperature performance on strength retention, electrical insulation and isolation and ablative properties when required as an upgrade to traditional PEEK for:
- Insulators for electrical connectors in high temp service including ESPs (electric submersible pumps)
- Valve seats and seals
- Back-up seal rings
- Radome and nose cones
- Bobbins and coils
- Applications operating at temperatures where PEEK begins to creep or lose electrical performance
KetaSpire PEEK XT Stock Shapes
Drake’s capabilities in all High Temperature KetaSpire PEEK XT formulations include an evolving range of rod and plate sizes for machining, as well as precision CNC-machined parts and injection-molded parts and near net shapes.
