Polyether ketones
Polyether ketones ( PEK for short ) are polymers with an alternating molecular backbone containing ketone (R – CO – R) and ether functionalities (R – O – R). The most common are polyaryletherketones (PAEK) in which there is an aryl group linked in the (1,4) position between the functional groups . The very rigid backbone gives the materials very high glass transition and melting temperatures compared to other plastics .
Manufacturing
Polyether ketones can be obtained by polycondensation of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone and the potassium or sodium salt of hydroquinone :
Representative
The most widely used of these high-temperature-resistant materials is polyetheretherketone (PEEK).
Further representatives of the polyether ketones are:
- PEKK = poly (ether ketone ketone)
- PEEEK = poly (etheretheretherketone)
- PEEKK = poly (ether ether ketone ketone)
- PEKEKK = poly (ether ketone-ether ketone ketone)
literature
- Sylvie Béland: High Performance Thermoplastic Resins and Their Composites , William Andrew, 1990, ISBN 9780815512783 , pp. 33-36 ( limited preview in Google book search).