Dielectric and Conduction Processes in Polyetherether Ketone (PEEK)

The electrical conductivity and dielectric loss of films of polyether ether ketone have been investigated over a wide range of frequencies and electric fields in the temperature range of 40 to 140°C. The volume resistivity of PEEK was found to be 1014 Ωm at temperatures 80°C but decreased significantly above this temperature. The dielectric loss factor was found to be 0.01 in the frequency range 100 Hz to 100 kHz, but two lowfrequency loss processes were observed by thermally stimulated discharge measurements. The excellent high-temperature mechnical properties suggest that PEEK may be useful as the insulating material on low voltage communication cables in hostile environments, but not for power or HV distribution cables over long distances where higher resistivities may be required.