Adaptable polyaryletherketones (PAEKs) with competing crosslinking and crystallisation mechanisms

Nan Yi; Adam Chaplin; John Grasmeder; Oana Ghita

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-51231-3

Adaptable polyaryletherketones (PAEKs) with competing crosslinking and crystallisation mechanisms

Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 5;14(1):679. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51231-3.

Authors

Nan Yi¹, Adam Chaplin², John Grasmeder², Oana Ghita³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK. N.Yi@exeter.ac.uk.
² Victrex Manufacturing Limited, Hillhouse International, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire, FY5 4QD, UK.
³ Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK.

Abstract

Driven by the need to make high temperature thermoplastic polymers more processable and expand the range of applications, this study reports on the properties of a novel PAEK material developed by Victrex (Thornton Cleveleys, UK) which is capable of undergoing crosslinking or crystallisation, two competing processes that can be adapted via specific processing temperature and time conditions. The uniqueness of this PAEK material resides in its manufacturing approach, where the crosslinkers are incorporated during the polymerisation process, and its distinct properties, including a controllable viscosity that can be tuned from low to high to allow its application in complex manufacturing processes, such as thermoplastic carbon fibre manufacturing.