PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone)
The material specified when nothing cheaper will survive the environment — heat, chemicals, or both. Stocked in sheet, rod and tube.
PEEK typical properties
Figures are for unfilled, extruded PEEK (MCAM Ketron 1000 PEEK). These are typical values, not a specification. The datasheet behind each figure is linked in its row: the manufacturer’s where one publishes the figure, a distributor’s otherwise. Figures vary by supplier and test method, so confirm against the datasheet for the grade and stock form you are designing with.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Density | 1.31g/cc |
| Tensile strength | 16,000psi |
| Tensile modulus | 630,000psi |
| Flexural modulus | 600,000psi |
| Hardness | 100Rockwell M |
| Izod impact, notched | 0.6ft-lb/in |
| Max continuous service temp | 480°F manufacturer rating (continuous, 20,000 h in air)MCAM Ketron 1000 PEEK product datasheet (rev 2024-01-19) (opens in a new tab) |
| Heat deflection temp @ 264 psi | 320°F |
| Water absorption, 24 h | 0.1% |
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 2.6×10⁻⁵ in/in/°F ASTM E831 (TMA), -40 to 300 °FMCAM Ketron 1000 PEEK product datasheet (rev 2024-01-19) (opens in a new tab) |
| FDA food contact | Yes, natural grade Natural grade only, under 21 CFR 177.2415. Excludes contact with infant formula and breast milk. |
What PEEK is
Premium high-performance thermoplastic with excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures.
Why engineers specify it
PEEK is expensive, and that is the whole design conversation. It gets specified when the service temperature or the chemistry rules out the alternatives — the parts that would otherwise be metal, or would otherwise fail. If the environment is mild, something cheaper will do the job.
Machining PEEK
PEEK machines well but is unforgiving of heat build-up, and stock shape matters — sharp tooling, steady chip clearance and stress relief between roughing and finishing all pay for themselves on close-tolerance work.
Machining PEEK: tolerances and tipsNeed PEEK parts machined to print?
Send us a drawing and we will quote it. Precision plastic machining in Linden, New Jersey since 1968.