The application of PEEK polymer continues to expand and deepen

In view of the increasing demand, Victrex is investing in expanding its production capacity to ensure reliable, long-term supply. Victrex plans to invest 90 million pounds to build a third polyaryl ether ketone PAEK (including PEEK) plant in Hillhouse, Lancashire, with a production capacity of more than 7,000 tons by 2015, and its earthwork has now been completed. Compared with Victrex’s current annual production capacity of 4,250 tons, there will be an increase of about 70%. From the 2013 semi-annual report of Victrex, the sales volume of Victrex Polymer Solutions Division (VPS) reached 1392 tons, an increase of 1% year-on-year, and revenue increased by 3% to 82.2 million pounds, mainly due to its PEEK The production of Aptiv film is driven by the business.

    From the perspective of material application, the application of Victrex PEEK polymer has been continuously expanded and deepened, and it has also obtained qualifications and approvals from manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing, system suppliers, and domestic and international regulatory agencies. Can replace some metal parts. This new application of Victrex (Booth No. 05A23) will be showcased at K2013, the world’s largest rubber and plastic event, which will be held in Germany in October this year. Recently approved by Airbus, VICTREXPEEK90HMF40 can reduce the weight by up to 40% compared with aluminum. Moreover, compared with aluminum 7075-T6 used under the same conditions, the fatigue strength of this high-strength polymer can be as high as 100 times. The strength factor and stiffness will be 20% higher, and the wide application of this high-performance polymer is bound to reduce weight, fuel consumption and emissions.

    At that time, Victrex will also showcase new application results in automotive, oil and gas production safety, etc., specifically: in the field of automotive manufacturing, components made of non-slip/frictional VICTREXWG polymer materials, including electric pumps, Can extend the service life and improve efficiency. Compared with other high-performance plastics, the friction coefficient of Victrex polymer materials can be lower according to requirements and remain stable throughout the product life cycle. This is good news for automakers, because it can not only extend the warranty period, but also achieve the new EU CO2 emission reduction targets set recently.

    Failures in oil and gas production can be catastrophic. Victrex’s high-performance polymer materials have provided safe, long-life solutions for more than 30 years, saving millions of dollars in expensive downtime and maintenance costs. Different from other high-performance polymer materials, VICTREXPEEK can increase the pressure response capacity by more than 1 times, the creep resistance by more than 3 times, and the compressive strength by 12 times under the environment of elevated pressure and temperature. VICTREXPEEK meets the needs of high pressure and high temperature. Its innovative materials can withstand pressures of up to 30,000 pounds (about 2000 bar), temperatures from -60°C to 260°C, and can be exposed to highly corrosive chemical environments.

    In the application of food contact materials, Victrex has also made new progress. The latest glass fiber reinforced product VICTREXPEEK90GL30BLK meets the requirements of the US and European regulatory authorities-European Commission Regulation 10/2011 (Plastic Implementation Measures-PIM). This regulation will be fully implemented before the end of 2015. Production equipment and components sold in the EU, regardless of their country of origin or place of origin, must comply with this regulation.