Rapid compression preparation and characterization of oversized bulk amorphous polyether-ether-ketone

Melts of polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) with three kinds of average molecular weight are solidified by rapid compression from 0.1 to 2.0 GPa at 360 degrees C within 20 ms, and comparative samples are also made by rapid quenching and slow cooling of the same melts. Through XRD and DSC analyses and mechanical tests of the recovered samples, it is found that bulk materials of PEEK obtained by rapid compression exhibit a single amorphous phase with unique properties such as high thermodynamic stability, excellent friction and wear behaviour, considerable stiffness, exceptional ductile character and high impact toughness. These properties could be attributed to their homogeneous fine structure. A bulk and fully amorphous PEEK with 24 mm diameter and 12 mm thickness is prepared by rapid compression, which considerably exceeds the critical size in a conventional quenching method, thus, directly confirming that the size of the amorphous material is not limited by thermal conductivity in the rapid compression process.