Enhanced Ductility of PEEK thin film with self-assembled fibre-like crystals
Wang, Y; Chen, B; Evans, K; et al.Ghita, O
Date: 22 January 2018
Article
Journal
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Poly Ether Ether Ketone (PEEK) is a high temperature polymer material known for its
excellent chemical resistance, high strength and toughness. As a semi-crystalline polymer,
PEEK can become very brittle during long crystallisation times and temperatures helped as
well by its high content of rigid benzene rings within its chemical ...
Poly Ether Ether Ketone (PEEK) is a high temperature polymer material known for its
excellent chemical resistance, high strength and toughness. As a semi-crystalline polymer,
PEEK can become very brittle during long crystallisation times and temperatures helped as
well by its high content of rigid benzene rings within its chemical structure. This paper
presents a simple quench crystallization method for preparation of PEEK thin films with the
formation of a novel fibre-like crystal structure on the surface of the films. These quenched
crystallised films show higher elongation at break when compared with conventional melt
crystallised thin films incorporating spherulitic crystals, while the tensile strength of both
types of films (quenched crystallised and conventional melt) remained the same. The
fracture analysis carried out using microscopy revealed an interesting microstructure which
evolves as a function of annealing time. Based on these results, a crystal growth mechanism
describing the development of the fibre-like crystals on the surface of the quenched
crystallised films is proposed.
Engineering
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
Item views 0
Full item downloads 0