Polyethersulfone(PES) vs Polysulfone

Perhaps, the biggest difference between polyethersulfone and polysulfone is that polysulfone is made up of repeating sulfone units. On the other hand, polyethersulfone has the aryl-SO2-aryl makeup.

There are essentially three materials belonging to the polysulfone family. These include:

· Polyethersulfone

· Polysulfone

· Polyphenylene

While these materials are generally high-performing and suitable for high-temperature usages, there are still some basic differences between them.

So, in this guide, we will pit polyethersulfone against polysulfone and see which one fits your bill the best.

Let’s dive in.

Polysulfone-the basics

Polysulfone is a member of the higher-performing thermoplastic polysulfone family. These are polymers renowned for their toughness and ability to maintain dimension stability, even at considerable temperatures.

Polysulfone, PSU, is the product formed when the fulsome functional group of bis(4-chlorophenyl)sulfone reacts with the chloride functional group of diphenoxide in a substitution reaction.

The materials formed from polysulfone show some inherent properties such as high rigidity, strength, and stability. They also show superior stiffness. However, they can only maintain these properties between the range of 100°C and 150 °C.

Further, polysulfone has a glass transition temperature that ranges between 190°C to 230 °C. This is to confirm that the dimensional stability of the material is quite satisfactory for several applications. It will only change in size when you expose it to a temperature that is above 150°C.

Just like most materials belonging to the polysulfone family, PSU also shows superior resistance to electrolytes, alkalis, and mineral acids as long as their pH value neither exceeds nor falls below two to 13. Its chemical makeup also makes it insusceptible to an oxidizing agent. So, you have no worries if you’re using bleach.

Polyethersulfone – the basics

Here is another high-performing thermoplastic material. Its usage is most common in applications such as wastewater treatment and membrane bioreactor material.

In a nutshell, polyethersulfone chemical structure comprises sulfone and other bonds linked to phenyl.

Compared to polysulfone, this material does better when it comes to temperature resistance. In essence, it does well under a temperature as high as 400°C.

Polyethersulfone is a pale amber, amorphous and transparent thermoplastic material. In the polysulfone family, it has the highest temperature resistance and commercial availability. On top of that, it has minimal water absorption and hardly creeps.

What are the differences between polyethersulfone and polysulfone?

There are truckloads of differentiating factors between polysulfone and polyethersulfone. For one, polyethersulfone can show dimensional stability under a temperature as high as 400° C. However polysulfone cannot even go up to half this temperature. Its ability is limited to roughly 150°C, as mentioned before. For this reason, polysulfone may not be as good as PES for high-temperature applications such as in medical equipment where objects are subject to high heat for sterilization. On top of that, polyethersulfone also does superiorly when it comes to glass transition temperatures.

Another difference is in their structure and chemical makeup. While polyethersulfone contains the ether group, this group is comparatively absent in the polysulfone family. Thus, it is relatively limited when it comes to certain applications.

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