Graphene filled polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites made by melt-compounding

In the present work, a graphene nanocomposite material using as matrix a high performance thermoplastic polymer (PEEK) is presented. Composite was made by a simple extrusion-compounding process, followed by an injection-moulding process. The main advantage of this process is that it could produce large quantities at the scales needed for use in industrial applications as structural applications. Nanocomposites with different percentages of graphene 0.5, 1, 3, 5 and 10 wt.% were characterized and compared with neat PEEK as baseline. The mechanical tests showed that the Young´s modulus increased when adding graphene while the strenght remained constant. In addition, a change in the failure mode was observed when the graphene was added. Nanocomposites with high contents of graphene had lower strain at break than neat PEEK.