What are the advantages of high flow peek materials?
High flow PEEK materials (polyetheretherketone materials with high melt index)
The melt flow coefficient (MFR) of PEEK, also known as melt flow rate or melt flow index , is an indicator of the melt flowability of PEEK
material at a certain temperature and load.
Our PEEK test by ISO 1133( 380℃,5kg),we have two types of high flow PEEK granules:one can reach 80g/10min,
another one can reach 110g/10min.
High flow PEEK materials have the following significant advantages:
1, In terms of molding and processing
Advantages of injection molding
Complex parts are easier to form:
High flow PEEK material can more smoothly fill the mold cavity during injection molding. For parts with thin walls, fine structures, or complex shapes, such as micro gears and small connectors in precision electronic devices, their melt can better replicate the details of the mold and reduce molding defects. For example, in the manufacturing of some small PEEK medical device components, high fluidity materials can ensure complete filling in narrow spaces, resulting in higher dimensional accuracy of the product and reduced defect rates.
Shorten molding cycle:
Due to its good fluidity, lower injection pressure and shorter injection time can be used during injection molding. This helps to accelerate the molding speed and improve production efficiency. Compared with ordinary PEEK materials, the molding cycle may be shortened by 20% -30%, which can effectively reduce production costs in large-scale production.
Advantages of Extrusion Processing:
High precision extruded products: In the extrusion process, high flow PEEK material can be uniformly passed through the die of the extruder, thereby producing pipes, rods, and profiles with high dimensional accuracy and good surface quality. For example, in the production of PEEK pipes, high fluidity can make the wall thickness of the pipe more uniform and the concentricity higher, which is beneficial for applications in fields that require strict dimensional accuracy, such as hydraulic system pipelines in aerospace.
Adapt to multiple extrusion processes:
This material can better adapt to complex extrusion processes such as co extrusion and multi-layer extrusion. By co extruding with other materials, composite products with multiple functions can be manufactured, such as composite pipes with high barrier materials on the inner layer and high mechanical performance PEEK on the outer layer, expanding the application range of PEEK materials.
2, In terms of product performance
Mechanical performance optimization:
Fiber reinforcement effect is better:
When high flow PEEK material is combined with fibers (such as carbon fiber, glass fiber), the fibers can be more evenly dispersed in the matrix material. This is because good fluidity helps the fibers to fully immerse in the melt, thereby more effectively exerting the reinforcing effect of the fibers. For example, adding 30% carbon fiber to high flow PEEK material can achieve a tensile strength of 200-250 MPa, which is about twice that of unreinforced materials, while maintaining good toughness.
Reduce internal stress concentration:
During the molding process, high fluidity can make the material flow more naturally in the mold, reducing the phenomenon of internal stress concentration caused by poor flow. This enables the molded product to distribute stress more evenly when subjected to external forces, improving its fatigue resistance and service life.
Physical performance improvement:
Excellent performance of thin-walled products:
For thin-walled PEEK products, high flow materials can maintain the physical properties of the material while ensuring the thin-walled structure. For example, when manufacturing thin-walled electronic packaging shells, high flow PEEK materials can provide good barrier properties, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties, protecting internal electronic components from external environmental influences.
Enhanced dimensional stability:
Although high flow PEEK materials have good fluidity, they can still maintain good dimensional stability after molding. This is because its molecular chain structure can be better arranged during the processing, and its thermal expansion coefficient is lower in high temperature environments. The size change of the product is small when used for a long time, making it suitable for applications that require long-term stability in size accuracy, such as PEEK components in optical instruments.