POM Vs.PEEK

Abstract: POM and PEEK are two different polymer materials. They are significantly different in many aspects. The following is a detailed comparison of these two materials: composition and structure, mechanical properties, thermal properties, chemical resistance , electrical properties, processing properties, application areas, etc.

Ingredients and structure:

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is a thermoplastic crystalline polymer polymerized from formaldehyde (CH2O) monomer. Its molecular chains have a highly ordered arrangement, giving it excellent mechanical properties and processing properties.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a semi-crystalline polymer produced by the polymerization reaction of etherketone monomer. Its molecular chain is more complex than POM and has rigidity and toughness, making it perform excellently under high temperatures and mechanical pressure.

Mechanical behavior:

POM has good wear resistance, high rigidity and impact resistance. Its strength, hardness and wear resistance are superior to metals in many applications. However, its high temperature resistance and chemical resistance are relatively weak.

PEEK has excellent high temperature resistance and can be used continuously at 250℃ for a long time. In addition, PEEK has excellent chemical and abrasion resistance and can be used in many corrosive environments. However, PEEK has relatively poor processing properties and requires higher processing temperatures and pressures.

Thermal performance:

The thermal properties of POM and PEEK are very different. POM has a lower melting point, about 170°C, and a heat distortion temperature of 90°C. This means that at high temperatures, POM is prone to deformation.

PEEK has a higher melting point, about 340°C, and a heat distortion temperature of up to 230°C. Therefore, PEEK is more stable than POM in high temperature environments.

Chemical resistance:

POM has good chemical resistance to solvents such as alcohols, ketones, and esters, but is not resistant to strong acids, strong bases, and halogenated hydrocarbons. Because in some corrosive environments, the use of POM may be restricted.

PEEK has excellent chemical resistance and can resist the attack of most acids, alkalis, salts and organic solvents. This makes PEEK an ideal choice in many chemical industry applications.

Electrical properties:

There is not much difference in the electrical properties of POM and PEEK. They all have excellent insulation properties and voltage resistance and can be used in electronic and electrical fields. However, they have poor electrical conductivity and are not suitable for applications requiring electrical conductivity.

Processing performance:

POM has excellent processing properties. Easy to injection mold, extrusion and blow molding. In addition, POM has good fluidity and can produce products with more complex details.

In comparison, PEEK has higher processing temperatures and requires higher processing pressure. Therefore, PEEK is relatively difficult to process and the cost is high. However, PEEK can be processed through injection molding, extrusion and blow molding.

Application areas:

Since POM and PEEK have different mechanical and thermal properties, their application fields are also different. POM is mainly used to manufacture wear-resistant parts such as gears, bearings, and handles, as well as medical equipment and automotive parts.

PEEK is mainly used in components in high temperature and corrosive environments, such as components in the aerospace field, valves and seals in the chemical industry, etc. In addition, PEEK can also be used in emerging fields such as manufacturing 3D printing materials.

To sum up, both POM and PEEK are excellent polymer materials with their own unique properties and application fields. The choice of material depends on the specific application needs and requirements.