PEEK

What is PEEK?

PEEK stands for Polyetheretherketone. It is a food-approved, semi-crystalline thermoplastic particularly well-suited for high-temperature environments with steam or moisture.

PEEK plastic is available in the form of sheets, round bars, and pipes, and it has a distinctive light brown/beige color. Well-known brand names in PEEK production include TECAPEEK® and Ketron®.

Properties and Advantages

PEEK stands out for its excellent mechanical properties, including bending and tensile strength, as well as thermal stability, allowing the material to withstand temperatures of up to 260 °C.

PEEK also has low moisture absorption, which makes it outstanding in environments with hot water and steam. In general, PEEK offers a long service life - even in demanding conditions - and has low coefficient of thermal expansion.

The material type is resistant to most chemicals, including acids, bases and solvents. In addition, PEEK is naturally flame-retardent without the need for additives.

Although it is a relatively high-cost material, it is often worth choosing PEEK if the application requires it. For example, it is frequently more advantageous to use PEEK instead of aluminium.

Is the material approved for food contact?

When you order PEEK components from us, they are standardly FKM-approved. The plastic type can also be manufactured as multi-traceable, allowing it to be detected by X-ray and metal detectors.

Additionally, PEEK is available with NORSOK M-710 certification, which establishes the requirements for non-metallic sealing materials and manufacturers, particularly focusing on elastomers, thermoplastic materials, and thermoset plastics used in the oil and gas industry.

These materials are often used as seals, gaskets, and other components that are critical for safety and efficiency in these industries.

Having NORSOK M-710 certified materials means that the materials are reliable and safe for use in some of the most demanding environments and can come into contact with skin.

Is the material approved for food contact?

When you order PEEK components from us, they are standardly FKM-approved. The plastic type can also be manufactured as multi-traceable, allowing it to be detected by X-ray and metal detectors.

Additionally, PEEK is available with NORSOK M-710 certification, which establishes the requirements for non-metallic sealing materials and manufacturers, particularly focusing on elastomers, thermoplastic materials, and thermoset plastics used in the oil and gas industry.

These materials are often used as seals, gaskets, and other components that are critical for safety and efficiency in these industries.

Having NORSOK M-710 certified materials means that the materials are reliable and safe for use in some of the most demanding environments and can come into contact with skin.

Five round pieces of brown PEEK plastics on a white background

What is PEEK used for?

Due to its excellent and broad properties, as well as its long lifespan, PEEK is a top-quality material for components and machine parts across various industries. Therefore, it is used for items such as:

Bearings
Wear parts
Gears
Sliding bearings
Sealing rings
Gaskets
Valves
Precision mechanical parts

And much more.

Two CNC-turned machine parts of PEEK on a white background.

Machining of PEEK

PEEK can be processed using several techniques, which we offer at Induflex. The material has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, making it most ideal for CNC machining due to its high strength and rigidity.

At Induflex, we can CNC turn and mill with high precision. If your components are complex technical parts, milling will be the best option, while turning is effective for producing round and cylindrical parts.

The stability of the material ensures that the resulting parts have good dimensional tolerances.

CNC turning of a machine part in white technical plastic at Induflex

Alternativ
materials
for PEEK

If PEEK is not the ideal choice for your project, the following plastic types may be good alternatives:

PTFE: For applications that require high chemical resistance along with better sliding properties.

POM: For applications that require high strength and rigidity.

Download our plastic table to compare materials

Alternativ
materials
for PEEK

If PEEK is not the ideal choice for your project, the following plastic types may be good alternatives:

PTFE: For applications that require high chemical resistance along with better sliding properties.

POM: For applications that require high strength and rigidity.

Download our plastic table to compare materials

Induflex's inventory of sheets in technical plastics in yellow, white, black and blue

Spørgsmål og svar

At Induflex, we can produce even very tight tolerances in plastic.

When you order a plastic part from us, it will meet Danish Standard ISO 2768-1 (medium) as standard. We measure the tolerances at room temperature, around 21 °C.

Of course, we can agree on different tolerances if you wish.
PEEK is moderately notch-sensitive, as the material is relatively stiff. Hoever, it has excellent mechanical properties and can withstand high loads.

Nevertheless, the design should minimise sharp corners and stress concentrations to prevent fractures under extreme conditions.

Some materials can be ordered with additives that strengthen the construction. Contact us for more information.
PEEK is an FKM-approved high-performance plastic, making it suitable for items that come into direct contact with food, such as components for food processing machinery.
By sending us a STEP file or PDF with your drawings, we can quickly help determine if PTFE is the right choice for your project.

We can also identify the processing method that best suits your components.

Enhance properties
with additives

PEEK can be further improved by adding various additives or modifiers.

PEEK with Carbon Fiber (CF) Additive:

CF increases stiffness and shrinkage resistance while providing better wear and friction properties. Additionally, it offers improved thermal conductivity, which extends the lifespan of wear parts. This type of PEEK has optimal hydrolysis resistance in boiling and superheated steam. It comes in black.

PEEK with Glass Fiber (GF) Additive:

GF enhances mechanical strength, stiffness, dimensional stability, and improves shrinkage resistance. However, PEEK with GF is not suitable for load-bearing and wear parts, as the material tends to create matte surfaces due to abrasion.