Extremely high processing temperatures: Unlike amorphous materials, which can be processed just above Tg, semi-crystalline materials must reach a much higher threshold, Tm.It is challenging to the point that parts with wide, flat areas are considered almost impossible to print. Although this issue is common to high-performance plastics (and even some standard or engineering plastics), PEEK warping is particularly difficult to manage. Significant shrinkage: As polymer chains reorganize into compact crystalline structures, the object inevitably loses dimensional accuracy and tends to warp.This material’s crystallization rate is extremely high, meaning it crystallizes too quickly after even the slightest temperature drop. On the one hand, PEEK’s semi-crystalline behavior is its greatest strength, but on the other, its greatest weakness. Only a rare few pellet 3D printers are able to heat up to PEEK-compatible temperatures. Note: Some 3D printers feature pellet extruders instead of filament extruders. To oversimplify, since PEEK must be heated up to high temperatures to melt, it’s expensive to transform PEEK pellets into printer-friendly PEEK filament. The issue mainly lies in the filament format. However, PEEK is particularly costly, and even more so for 3D printing. High-performance materials are, for obvious reasons, already more expensive than standard materials. However, PEEK– especially in 3D printable form, i.e., filament or powder– is substantially pricier than most plastics and much harder to process. In numerous cases, PEEK is even considered an alternative to metal for the production of strong, lighter-weight parts. This premium thermoplastic is mainly chartered for high-value applications seen in demanding industries such as aerospace, energy, and medical. These are ballpark numbers for unfilled PEEK, they can vary depending on the manufacturer.
PEEK also offers high chemical and radiation resistance, and inherent flame retardancy characteristics ( UL-94 V-0 FST).Īverage PEEK properties: Filament price /kgĪ few key properties and printing requirements for PEEK.
It indeed presents outstanding mechanical and thermal properties, unrivaled by common engineering materials. PEEK sits in the high-performance polymer group at the top of the thermoplastic pyramid. Source: AON3D Why Look for Alternatives to PEEK? A look inside AON3D’s high-temperature 3D printer.
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