Solvay Specialty Polymers has announced the commercial introduction of a new ultra-high molecular weight grade of KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) that offers greater ductility and toughness than standard high-molecular weight PEEK products, according to the company.
The grade was developed to meet the demands of applications requiring enhanced toughness and impact resistance performance over traditional PEEK grades. The product is particularly suited to meet the increasing performance needs of the oil and gas industry.
KetaSpire KT-810 has a melt viscosity ranging from 0.51-0.65 kPa-s compared with 0.38-0.50 kPa-s for standard high-viscosity PEEK grades. The new grade achieves a greater level of mechanical toughness than previously possible with current commercial PEEK materials and is still processable by conventional methods including extrusion, injection molding, and compression molding.
KetaSpire KT-810 delivers about a 50 percent improvement in tensile elongation at break and a 10 percent to 20 percent increase in impact resistance compared to standard high-molecular weight PEEK grades. The material is available in two forms: fine powder with an average particle size of approximately 50 micrometers (µm) for compression molding and pellet form for extrusion and injection molding. The fine powder grade is designated KT-810FP while the pelletized product is available as KT-810 NT.
For more information, visit www.solvayplastics.com.