Stability of amorphous PEEK in organic solvents

Aqeel Ahmad, Tanveer Iqbal*, Saima Yasin, Rabia Hanif, Sheema Riaz, Paul F. Luckham

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Poly ether ether ketone (PEEK) is one of the most promising thermoplastics for high performance applications such as biomedical surgical components, seal valves and various components of pump. Chemical and thermal behavior of amorphous PEEK in different chemical environments has been investigated in the present study. Commonly used organic solvents were selected based on Hildebrand solubility parameter for stability analysis of the polymer. Polymeric sheets placed in the solvents for 2 months were analyzed through Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). Chemical structure of the polymer was seen to be altered by toluene, benzene and tetrahydrofuran. The polymer remains resistant to thermal attack after exposure to most of the solvents. Chloroform, THF, toluene and acetone affects stability of the polymer based on the experimental results. Thus, prolonged interaction of PEEK with these solvents requires some additional treatment to make PEEK sustainable in these harsh environments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)810-818
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan
Volume40
Issue number4
StatePublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Chemical Society of Pakistan. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Crystallinity
  • Organic solvents
  • PEEK
  • Plasticization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Stability of amorphous PEEK in organic solvents'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this