PEEK and Moldable PTFE Injection Molding Solutions

  PEEK is a high-performance engineering plastic that requires specialized injection molding processes. Melting temperatures must reach 370–400°C, and mold temperatures are tightly controlled at 160–200°C to manage crystallization. Additionally, the material's high abrasiveness and thermo-sensitivity present significant challenges.

  PTFE, on the other hand, is a different story. When we talk about "injection moldable PTFE," we're really talking about PFA, FEP, and ETFE — melt-processable fluoropolymers that behave more like conventional thermoplastics.

  PFA (processable PTFE) is the closest injection-moldable cousin to PTFE. Melt temperatures need to reach 350–400°C, and molds must be heated to 150–200°C — which almost perfectly overlaps with PEEK's 360–400°C / 160–200°C window. But PFA has a headache that PEEK doesn't: in the molten state, it corrodes standard steel. Screws, barrels, and molds all need corrosion-resistant alloys, and mold cavities are best nickel-plated. PFA also has fairly high melt viscosity, so gates and runners need to avoid sharp corners — otherwise you get melt fracture.

  FEP processes at slightly lower temperatures but still needs dedicated corrosion-resistant equipment. Its upper service temperature is around 200°C, lower than both PFA and PTFE, so it's limited in high-temperature applications.

  ETFE is the "easiest to mold" of the bunch. Melt temperature is 293–343°C, mold temperature only 65–149°C — much gentler than PEEK or PFA. Its tensile strength is also on the higher side for this family, around 45 MPa. Still nowhere near PEEK, but a "tough guy" among fluoroplastics.