What is Polyethersulfone (PES) Material?

From medical to automotive and truckloads of applications, Polyethersulfone is a name you'll hear almost everywhere. Wondering what this material is? Or perhaps you’re wondering if it is for you? You’ll find clarity in this guide.

What you need to know about polyethersulfone

Polyethersulfone is a high-performance, transparent, and amorphous thermoplastic belonging to the class of sulfone polymers.

You can process this material using blow molding, injection molding, extrusion, and even thermo-forming equipment. Among thermoplastic resins, PES is the most temperature resistance and the most commercially available. Since it was manufactured in 1972 by ICI, the material has gained traction across various applications. This kudos to its superior flame resistance and flame resistance. On top of that, it also has the least flame emission.

Besides having high-temperature resistance, PES also boasts the highest elasticity tensile modulus in polyarylsulfone materials. It also has a superior impact strength and resistance to chemicals. It is also a highly stable material with a very low-notch sensitivity.

This minimal smoke emission coupled with its low inflammability makes the thermoplastic material the go-to when looking for materials that align with FAA regulations. Thus, it slots right in for interior parts of airplanes.

The unreinforced grades of the material also have truckloads of applications. These usually include the manufacturing of oven windows at bakeries, electrical appliances, and even equipment for medical practices.

But if you’re opting for the reinforced version, you can use it for applications such as airplanes, randone, and parts of automotive.

Important properties to note in Polyethersulfone

The first thing to note in PES is its high glass transition temperature, which stands at 225°C. This implies that the material shows high dimensional stability over a considerable temperature range.

Further, PES also has high terrific resistance to creep. Its creep resistance temperature stands at 150°C. Compared to materials such as polycarbonate, this value of creep resistance is considerably higher. Also, using the processes mentioned above, the PES material is very easy to process. During the processing, you can also forget worries about mold shrinkage.

Besides, there is a considerable heat deflection temperature of about 203°C. In terms of operational temperatures, the suitability of the material may differ by grade. Depending on the grade you choose, you can use the material for operations above 200°C.

Finally, it is worth noting that chemicals such as greases, acids, alcohols, and alkalis will never affect your PES material. However, be sure to avoid contact with esters, ketone, and other aromatic hydrocarbons.

The material’s transparency also makes it exhibit superior optical clarity. Further, there are food-grade PES materials that are best suited for packaging food materials. It also has excellent insulation and temperature maintenance.

Finally, you can use PES with several other high-performing engineering thermoplastics to open you to a new world of possibilities.

For example, you can combine the material with polycarbonate to manufacture a material with great flow properties. On top of this flow property, you can also enjoy the excellent mechanical performance inherent to PES.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at office@polima.com.cn if you have further questions.