3 Jun 2002
Spray coating with PEEK™ polymer enhances corrosion and wear resistance
High performance electrostatic spray coatings using Victrex® PEEK™ polymer have been developed by APS Company, Aquitaine, France, to enhance the corrosion and abrasive wear resistance of a wide range of products. APS is specialised in the development, specification and application of tailor-made coatings to meet specific customer demands across all industry sectors.
Coatings based on PEEK™ polymer in powder form deliver a unique combination of properties without the use of additives. These include high mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, outstanding friction and wear resistance, excellent chemical resistance, low flammability, low toxicity and low smoke and good electrical properties. Furthermore, this inherently pure polymer exhibits extremely low levels of outgassing, ionic extractables and wear particles, and is EU and FDA food contact compliant.
With its expertise in delivering customised spray coating solutions, APS has successfully applied PEEK™ polymer’s outstanding properties to a diverse range of applications in the electronics, medical and food processing industries.
• In the white room manufacture of specialised handling equipment for microprocessors, a PEEK™ coating of approximately 500 µm is applied to tungsten carbide string to minimise wear and abrasion during wafer handling.
• In the nuclear sector, where the use of fluoropolymers is prohibited, a 1mm PEEK™ polymer coating is applied to thermometer wells working in irradiated, chemically aggressive environments at service temperatures up to 220°C.
• In the medical sector, a 500 µm-PEEK™ polymer coating applied to instrument tips used in keyhole surgery enables the parts to withstand repeated sterilization cycles at 135°C.
• The application of a 200 µm-PEEK™ polymer protective coating onto tubing used in a food processing application facilitates tube release, provides resistance to operating temperatures in excess of 250°C and increases the tube life expectancy by a factor of 30 compared with traditional PTFE-coated tubes.
In all of the above applications, the key benefit of PEEK™ polymer is its ability to improve the performance and the cost-efficiency of metal parts, even when these are produced in short runs. In fact, it is possible to bring the benefits of PEEK™ polymer to products that cannot be 100% moulded in the polymer, even when using a minimum amount of polymer to coat the product.
APS’ ongoing research and development of new spray coating processes and materials is focused on three key areas: anti-friction coatings, ultra pure processes and multi-functional coatings. Jean-Pierre Da Silva, Operations Manager at APS Aquitaine explains: “By working in collaboration with Victrex, we are committed to further developing the spray coating process with PEEK™ polymer by reducing coating thickness and by developing multi-material coatings, including the use of fluoropolymers".
Reader enquiries
Helen SwarbrickVictrex plc
Victrex Technology Centre
Hillhouse International
Thornton Cleveleys
Lancashire FY5 4QD
United Kingdom
Tel +44 1253 897700
Fax +44 1253 897701
United Kingdom
Notes for editors
Victrex plc, which has its sales, technical and production headquarters at Thornton Cleveleys in Lancashire, UK, had a turnover of more than £72m in the last financial year. The company exports 95 percent of its VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer output to OEMs in the automotive, industrial, medical, food and electronics market sectors in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
The PEEK™ Trademark
For many years Victrex plc has been using the PEEK™ trademark to refer to its brand of Polyaryletherketone. Victrex plc is the sole manufacturer and supplier of the PEEK™ brand polymer world-wide. PEEK™ is a trademark of Victrex plc.
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High performance electrostatic spray coatings using Victrex® PEEK™ polymer have been developed by APS Company, Aquitaine, France, to enhance the corrosion and abrasive wear resistance of a wide range of products.
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