SPE Thermoforming Quarterly®

Third Quarter 2019

Thermoforming and In-situ Crystallization of Kepstan ® PEKK

Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) are a family of ultra-high performance semicrystalline thermoplastic materials known for their extreme strength, chemical resistance, low flammability, and high use temperatures. The PAEK family includes PEK, PEEK, PEKK, PEEKK and PEKEKK among others. In their semicrystalline state PAEKs have among the best chemical resistance and Heat deflection temperatures (HDT) of as high as 240°C. However, the fast crystallization rate of most PAEKs makes them difficult or impossible to thermoform, especially in applications requiring thick gauge or deep draw ratios…

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Third Quarter 2019

Upcycling of Mixed APET Bottle Flakes into Thermally Stable rCPET Food Trays

Enhancing mixed bottle flakes by turning them into extrudable recycled crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (rCPET) was the goal of a joint development project looking to close the gap in the PET recycling system. By successfully producing a sheet made from recycled material suitable for high-quality applications such as thermoformed food trays, Gneuss, Sukano and Illig have demonstrated that this approach is indeed possible…

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