| HS Code | 237431 |
| Manufacturer | Ensinger |
| Product Name | TECAFIL PEEK VX black |
| Material | Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) |
| Color | Black |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Density | 1.30 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength | 100 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 3700 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 20 % |
| Flexural Strength | 170 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 4100 MPa |
| Impact Strength | 3 kJ/m² |
| Hardness | 99 Rockwell M |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 143 °C |
| Melting Temperature | 343 °C |
| Continuous Service Temperature | 250 °C |
| Thermal Conductivity | 0.25 W/(m·K) |
| Coefficient Of Linear Thermal Expansion | 50 × 10^-6 /K |
| Water Absorption | 0.5 % |
| Chemical Resistance | Good against many acids, bases, and solvents |
| Print Temperature | 400–420 °C |
| Bed Temperature | 120–140 °C |
| Drying Temperature | 150 °C |
| Drying Time | 3–4 h |
| Nozzle Diameter | ≥ 0.4 mm |
| Flammability | UL94 V-0 |
As an accredited Ensinger TECAFIL PEEK VX black - 1,75 mm - Filament Polyetheretherketone factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | One 500 g spool of TECAFIL PEEK VX black 1.75 mm filament, sealed with desiccant in a moisture-proof bag and cardboard box. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loading: palletized Ensinger TECAFIL PEEK VX black 1.75 mm PEEK filament, securely stowed and stabilized for transport. |
| Shipping | Ensinger TECAFIL PEEK VX black 1.75 mm filament ships as a non-hazardous solid on spools. Each spool is sealed in a moisture-barrier bag with desiccant, then packed in a sturdy box. Standard parcel or freight service applies; no dangerous-goods documentation required. Protect from heat, humidity, and UV during transport. |
| Storage | Recommended storage: Store Ensinger TECAFIL PEEK VX black filament in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, flames, and oxidizers. Keep the spool sealed in its original moisture-barrier packaging with desiccant. Maintain low humidity; avoid moisture absorption. Do not store near incompatible chemicals or contaminants. Always reseal after opening. Dry according to supplier instructions before printing. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 24 months when stored sealed, dry, at 15–25°C, away from UV; dry before use if moisture absorbed. |
For non-implantable medical devices and production fixtures that enter autoclave or washer-disinfector cycles, TECAFIL PEEK VX black 1.75 mm filament is processed at 100% filament feedstock without downstream dilution with virgin PEEK pellets or any processing aid; the black grade is supplied in fully compounded form, so the exact masterbatch addition ratio is proprietary to Ensinger and must not be altered at the machine. Compliance assessment is not covered by a single material certificate because the FFF thermal history changes crystallinity and residual stress. A production lot intended for reusable surgical instrument handles, sterilization tray brackets, or endoscopic probe housings should be tested to ISO 10993-5:2009 for cytotoxicity and ISO 10993-10:2021 for skin sensitization on the annealed, post-machined part, not on filament pellets. Steam sterilization validation follows ISO 17665-1:2006, with printed parts exposed to 134 °C for 3–4 min cycles; dimensional change should be measured after 100 cycles because semicrystalline PEEK can undergo secondary crystallization and minor shrinkage of 0.1–0.4% depending on the printed layer orientation and annealing profile. Downstream production uses an all-metal hotend with a 0.4 mm or 0.6 mm steel nozzle, chamber temperature held at 170–200 °C, print bed at 160–180 °C, and extrusion temperature in the 375–410 °C range. Prior to printing, the filament is dried at 150 °C for 3–4 h in a desiccant dryer with a dew point below -40 °C; moisture content above 0.02% by Karl Fischer titration increases hydrolytic chain scission and produces microvoids at layer boundaries. Parts with wall thickness above 5 mm along the Z axis tend to delaminate if the chamber setpoint drops below 150 °C, a failure mode observed on open-matrix machines without active side-wall heating. After printing, annealing at 200 °C for 2 h in circulating air followed by slow cooling through the crystallization window between 260 °C and 180 °C at 0.5–1.0 °C/min raises crystallinity and improves interlaminar strength, but parts must be fixtured to avoid warping. Terminal products include reusable instrument handles, clamp bodies, camera head holders, and vacuum forming fixtures that cannot shed black pigment or plasticizer into a clean clinical environment. The operational boundary is that carbon-black-pigmented unfilled PEEK is not automatically qualified for long-term implantable contact, and the absence of a medical grade statement from Ensinger for this specific filament should be checked against the master file in each regulatory submission.
In aircraft interior and non-structural flight hardware development, unfilled PEEK filament is used for short-run air duct adapters, wiring harness clips, antenna spacers, and avionics tray insulators where the part count is too low to justify injection tooling and the temperature environment exceeds the 130 °C continuous rating of most engineering thermoplastics. The formulation addition ratio for this downstream route is 0% fiber or particulate reinforcement; the material remains an unfilled PEEK system so mechanical design must account for higher creep sensitivity than a 30% carbon-fiber-filled PEEK grade. Flame testing for cabin interiors is performed under 14 CFR 25.853(a) Appendix F, Part I, and a UL 94 V-0 classification is thickness-dependent; batch samples should be cut from the same layer height and shell count as production parts because interlayer voids can create a wicking path that is absent in molded plaque specimens. Outgassing for vacuum or low-pressure applications is assessed by ASTM E595-15; typical acceptance limits of ≤0.5% total mass loss and ≤0.1% collected volatile condensable material must be verified on the printed and post-cured component, not assumed from resin data. Downstream production on a high-temperature FFF platform uses an actively heated chamber at 160–180 °C, a polyimide-coated aluminum build plate with adhesive surface treatment, and extrusion at 390–410 °C; a 0.2 mm layer height is selected to minimize surface roughness on internal duct walls. Because printed PEEK surfaces are abrasive to standard high-speed steel tooling, post-machining of holes and bearing faces is performed with solid carbide end mills or polycrystalline diamond tools at spindle speeds below 8,000 rpm to avoid local melting. Threaded inserts are installed with ultrasonic insertion equipment after the part has cooled below 150 °C, and metal inserts are chosen with a coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch that is accommodated by a minimum boss wall of 2.0–2.5 mm. Terminal parts include cabin air duct adapters with integrated flanges, p-clip blocks, antenna standoffs, and electrical equipment spacers that must pass ASTM D648-18 heat deflection testing; actual part-specific HDT varies with print orientation and annealing. The primary limitation is that FFF-produced PEEK without fiber reinforcement exhibits lower wear resistance than injection-molded glass-filled PEEK, so dynamic bearing contact is not a suitable function for this filament unless a wear sleeve is used.
For semiconductor back-end equipment operating in wafer processing, PEEK is selected because it withstands aggressive cleaning chemistries and does not generate metal particulates, but the FFF process introduces a new variable: residual low-molecular-weight oligomers trapped in interlayer gaps that can leach under heated acidic or alkaline baths. The feedstock is used at 100% unfilled PEEK without carbon fiber or PTFE modification, so no conductive filler or melt-processable fluoropolymer contributes to extractables; however, the black pigment package and any adsorbed moisture must be controlled by drying at 150 °C for 4 h and by pre-extrusion purging of the hotend with PEEK-grade cleaning filament after any material changeover. Compliance is dominated by customer-specific fab cleanliness limits rather than one universal semiconductor standard; equipment qualification commonly references SEMI S2-0718 for safety, SEMI S6-0618 for environmental compliance, and ASTM E595-15 for outgassing. Ionic cleanliness is evaluated by ultrapure water extraction at 85 °C for 24 h followed by ion chromatography for chloride, sulfate, and sodium; published data for TECAFIL PEEK VX black under this exact protocol are limited, so each fab must qualify the annealed printed geometry. The downstream production route uses a high-temperature FFF system with an actively heated chamber at 170–190 °C, a 0.25 mm layer height, and a 0.4 mm tungsten-carbide nozzle. Since printed vertical walls contain interlayer notches that can trap slurry or cleaning fluid, the part is vapor-honed or chemically smoothed only if the process does not introduce ionic residues; untextured as-printed surfaces are often left unmachined to avoid tool coolant contamination. After printing, parts are annealed at 200 °C for 4 h under nitrogen or vacuum, then rinsed in 18.2 MΩ·cm ultrapure water and bagged in cleanroom-compatible packaging. The terminal product classes include wafer cassette clips, wet bench fixture brackets, alignment pins, and CMP conditioner arm covers. The material boundary is that PEEK is attacked by concentrated sulfuric acid above 50% concentration at elevated temperature and by strong nitric acid; therefore, wet bench parts must not be placed in mixed acid etch chemistries without specific chemical compatibility testing per ISO 22088-3 for stress cracking.
When a compressor wear ring or valve plate is produced from TECAFIL PEEK VX black 1.75 mm filament for sour service, the design-limiting condition is not thermal softening but brittle fracture initiated at interlayer voids during rapid gas decompression. The filament is used at 100% unfilled PEEK; no glass or carbon fiber is added because fiber ends at layer boundaries act as initiation sites when dissolved gas expands after a pressure drop, and the higher elongation of unfilled PEEK compared with filled grades is more important than creep resistance in blowdown service. Material qualification follows ISO 23936-1:2022 for non-metallic materials in sour oilfield environments and NORSOK M-710:2014 Annex B for elastomeric and polymeric seals; test coupons must be printed and annealed with the same layer height and infill density as the production component because rapid gas decompression performance is not transferable from molded plaque data. Downstream manufacturing uses a high-temperature FFF system with a chamber temperature of 170–190 °C and a 0.2 mm layer height; the print is deliberately overbuilt by 0.5–1.0 mm on sealing faces so that CNC machining removes the outer layer zone containing maximum porosity. Machining is performed with polycrystalline diamond inserts at low depth of cut, followed by a final isopropyl alcohol wipe to remove chlorinated cutting fluid residues that could accelerate stress cracking. Terminal parts include compressor valve plates, non-metallic wear rings, electrical connector insulators for downhole tools, and seal backup rings. The operational boundary is that published data for TECAFIL PEEK VX black under high-pressure sour gas at 150 °C and 100 bar are limited; qualification must include autoclave aging in 5% H2S / 95% CH4 gas mixture and tensile testing per ASTM D638-14 before and after aging, not merely dimensional change.
In electrified automotive powertrains, unfilled PEEK filament is applied to low-volume busbar spacers, thermal isolation washers, coolant pump impeller blanks, and high-temperature sensor housings where continuous exposure exceeds 150 °C and aliphatic hydrocarbon resistance is required. The feedstock addition ratio is 100% unfilled PEEK with no halogenated flame retardant, no antimony synergist, and no conductive carbon black beyond the product’s own pigmentation; this formulation selection is confirmed by RoHS screening to RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II using IEC 62321-5:2013, IEC 62321-7-1:2015, and IEC 62321-8:2017 test methods. Downstream production for series-manufactured low-voltage and high-voltage components uses a high-temperature FFF platform with a 180 °C chamber, a 200 °C build plate, a 0.2 mm layer height, and a 400 °C extrusion setpoint. Printed blanks are annealed at 200 °C for 2 h and then machined on fixture plates to maintain flatness below 0.1 mm across 100 mm. For electrical insulation, dielectric strength is measured according to IEC 60243-1:2013 at a 1 kV/s ramp in transformer oil at 23 °C; printed Z-direction values can be 20–50% lower than XY values due to layer interfaces, so busbar spacers are designed with a Z-axis test coupon printed in the same build orientation. Terminal products include busbar spacers, high-voltage terminal blocks, battery module sensor brackets, and e-motor resolver housings. The operational boundary is that molded-PEEK datasheet dielectric values cannot be inherited by FFF parts without orientation-specific testing, and any busbar hotspot exceeding 260 °C under short-circuit load must be re-evaluated because continuous-use tensile retention falls steeply above the glass transition region.
Among agitated reactors handling 30% hydrochloric acid at 80 °C, unfilled PEEK filament is used to print pump wear rings, valve seats, sight-glass holders, and filter plate inserts. The formulation addition ratio is 100% unfilled PEEK without fiber reinforcement to minimize wicking along layer lines. Food-contact or pharmaceutical fluid path parts must be verified against FDA 21 CFR 177.2415 and Regulation (EU) 10/2011 for the specific black pigmentation; chemical processing pressure parts fall under PED 2014/68/EU and require a print-orientation-specific design allowables file. Downstream production involves printing at 0.2 mm layer height in a 170 °C chamber, annealing at 200 °C for 2 h, and machining sealing faces with carbide tooling. Concentrated sulfuric acid above 50%, boiling nitric acid, and halogenated solvents above 100 °C are outside the permissible media envelope.
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When a semicrystalline polyaryletherketone filament is specified for fused filament fabrication of parts exposed to hot water, steam, or hydrocarbon environments, the Ensinger TECAFIL PEEK VX black filament in 1.75 mm diameter is positioned as an unfilled, black-pigmented polyetheretherketone feedstock. The grade is not a carbon-fibre-reinforced compound; the black colour is derived from pigmentation rather than chopped carbon fibre. Manufacturer-published bulk resin data for unfilled PEEK of this class include density of 1.32 g/cm³ under ISO 1183-1, a melting peak of 343 °C under ISO 11357-3, and glass transition temperature of 143 °C under ISO 11357-2. The filament format is intended for high-temperature fused filament fabrication systems with all-metal hot ends and actively heated build chambers that can be maintained above 400 °C and 120 °C respectively.
Drying is a processing prerequisite, not a recommendation. PEEK absorbs approximately 0.3 % to 0.5 % moisture at saturation, and residual moisture above 0.02 % can hydrolyse the melt at processing temperatures above 340 °C, producing voids, rough extrudate, and delamination at layer interfaces. The filament should be dried at 150 °C for 3 h in a dry-air or vacuum dryer with a dew point of −40 °C or lower, or at 120 °C for 5 h where dryer capacity limits batch throughput. Storage in sealed containers with desiccant is required when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60 %. Production lines use residual moisture analysers to confirm moisture content before extrusion because batch-to-batch variation in dampness alters melt viscosity and extrusion pressure.
Extrusion of the 1.75 mm filament requires an all-metal hot end with a hardened steel or high-temperature plated copper alloy nozzle, a PT1000 or thermocouple sensor rated for 450 °C, and a melt path free of PTFE or polyimide liners. Typical processing windows for unfilled PEEK filaments are nozzle temperature 400–430 °C, bed temperature 160–200 °C, chamber temperature 120–180 °C, and print speed 20–50 mm/s. Layer heights of 0.10–0.20 mm are common. The supplier-published diameter tolerance for engineering filaments is commonly ±0.05 mm, which is necessary for stable feed force when paired with a dual-drive extruder and a constrained filament path. Cooling fans should remain off or below 20 % duty cycle to avoid quenching the melt before sufficient interlayer diffusion has occurred.
In a chamber held below 120 °C, deposited PEEK cools into a low-crystallinity state, leaving frozen-in orientation and residual stress that manifests as corner lift, vertical warping, and interlayer fracture. The crystallisation window for PEEK lies between the glass transition at 143 °C and the melt peak at 343 °C; practical crystallisation rates are highest between 180 °C and 280 °C. When chamber air temperature is maintained above 150 °C, printed weld interfaces retain chain mobility long enough for partial co-crystallisation across the layer boundary. On an open-frame printer without an actively heated chamber, warpage on parts exceeding 100 mm in the longest axis is frequently observed even with polyimide tape adhesion and a high bed setpoint. This behaviour restricts production-scale PEEK fused filament fabrication to systems with heated chambers certified for continuous operation at 200 °C.
| Property | Standard | Typical value for unfilled PEEK resin |
|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 1.32 g/cm³ |
| Tensile strength | ISO 527-2 | 110 MPa |
| Elongation at break | ISO 527-2 | 20 % |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178 | 4200 MPa |
| Melting peak | ISO 11357-3 | 343 °C |
| Glass transition | ISO 11357-2 | 143 °C |
| Flammability rating | UL 94 | V-0 at 3.0 mm |
The table represents unfilled PEEK resin data and is not a guarantee of printed-part values. Print orientation, raster angle, chamber temperature, and annealing history shift tensile strength and elongation. Published data for TECAFIL PEEK VX black in all printed orientations are limited; qualification coupons should therefore be produced with the same raster sequence and post-annealing history as production components and tested under ISO 527-2 and ISO 178.
Fused filament fabrication with 1.75 mm unfilled PEEK produces visible layer lines and local porosity that act as stress concentrators. Z-direction tensile properties are commonly 30–60 % lower than in-plane values because interlayer welding is incomplete compared with bulk resin. Annealing at 200 °C for 2 h in an air-circulating oven increases crystallinity and reduces residual stress, but it can produce dimensional change of up to 1–2 % in the build direction. Machining, polishing, or chemical smoothing is often required for sealing surfaces. PEEK printed parts also absorb moisture after printing, so dry storage in desiccating cabinets is recommended when tight dielectric or mechanical tolerances are required.
Compared with a carbon-fibre-filled PEEK filament of identical diameter, the unfilled VX black grade exhibits lower modulus, higher elongation at break, reduced nozzle wear, and higher electrical resistivity. Carbon-fibre-filled PEEK typically shifts tensile modulus from the 4,200 MPa class toward 10,000–14,000 MPa, but it also lowers elongation and introduces anisotropic shrinkage and conductive paths. Glass-fibre-filled PEEK increases stiffness and creep resistance but reduces ductility and can create abrasive wear on brass or hardened steel nozzles. The unfilled grade retains the dielectric behaviour of neat PEEK, with volume resistivity commonly above 1015 Ω·cm under IEC 62631-3-1, whereas carbon-fibre-filled grades may fall below 104 Ω·cm depending on fibre loading. In applications requiring electrical insulation, low particle shedding, and ductile failure under tensile load, the unfilled VX black is specified over carbon-fibre-filled formulations.
The black pigmentation should not be mistaken for carbon-fibre reinforcement. The grade is unfilled; the pigment reduces light transmission but does not provide the mechanical reinforcement of chopped-carbon-fibre PEEK. In UV-exposed or light-sensitive applications, long-term stability should be verified under ISO 4892-2 or ASTM G154 because polyetheretherketone can undergo surface oxidation and chalking without stabilisers.
Compared with polyetherimide filaments such as ULTEM 1010, unfilled PEEK VX black has a higher continuous use temperature, better resistance to steam and many solvents, and higher abrasion resistance. However, polyetherimide is processable at lower nozzle temperatures of 360–380 °C and often shows lower warpage in unheated chambers. Against PPSU, PEEK offers higher stiffness and temperature capability but requires higher bed and chamber setpoints. Against unfilled PEKK, PEEK exhibits a lower melting temperature but slower crystallisation; PEKK may be easier to process in some heated chambers due to lower crystallinity. Selection depends on installed printer capability: if the chamber cannot sustain 120 °C or the hot end is not rated above 400 °C, alternative PAEK or PEI filaments may be more appropriate.
Chemical processing equipment prototypes are a common application. Unfilled PEEK resists hydrolysis, steam, hot water, aliphatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, and many polar organic solvents under moderate temperature. Resistance to strong oxidising acids is limited; concentrated sulfuric acid and nitric acid attack the polymer at elevated temperatures, and mechanical stress accelerates attack under ISO 22088-3 stress-cracking protocols. Parts intended for sour gas service require rapid gas decompression testing under NORSOK M-710 or equivalent because rapid decompression can cause internal cracking at filament-welded interfaces.
Aerospace and rail interior components often use polyetheretherketone because unfilled grades achieve UL 94 V-0 flammability with low smoke density and low toxic gas emission. The filament is suitable for short-run or maintenance parts when the installed part is qualified to the same material specification as the filament resin. For flight-qualified parts, printed laminates are evaluated under FAR 25.853 or EN 45545-2 as applicable; the filament itself does not transfer a finished-part certification. Continuous service temperature ratings for unfilled PEEK are commonly reported up to 250 °C depending on load and environment, with short-term excursions to 300 °C only under low mechanical stress.
Medical device prototypes are printed from unfilled PEEK; however, the VX black grade must be confirmed against the relevant biocompatibility endpoints before use. If the resin carries USP Class VI or ISO 10993-5 data, that data applies to the raw polymer or a specific finished geometry, not automatically to a porous FFF surface. Cleaning and steam autoclave sterilisation at 121 °C or 134 °C are possible because PEEK retains stiffness through repeated autoclave cycles, but printed parts should be annealed to avoid dimensional change during the first sterilisation cycle. For implantable or prolonged skin-contact applications, a full biocompatibility plan under ISO 10993-1 is required.
In electrical connectors and semiconductor tooling, unfilled PEEK is specified for volume resistivity above 1015 Ω·cm, dielectric strength near 20 kV/mm, and low outgassing under vacuum. FFF-produced surfaces introduce roughness and microvoids that can lower dielectric strength; smooth machined surfaces are preferred for high-voltage insulation. If the black pigmentation is carbon-based, surface resistivity should be verified rather than assumed for each print profile.
Unfilled PEEK displays moderate wear rate against polished steel in dry sliding, but it is not a self-lubricating grade. For bearing and wear surfaces, unfilled VX black may require external lubrication or a mating surface of Ra 0.2 µm; carbon-fibre-filled PEEK, PEEK with PTFE, or graphite-filled grades are often selected instead. Under ISO 7148-2 or ASTM G99 pin-on-disc testing, the unfilled grade exhibits higher coefficient of friction than PTFE-filled PEEK but better machinability than highly filled grades. Specific tribological values for printed TECAFIL PEEK VX black are limited; testing on representative printed substrates is necessary.
Batch-to-batch variation in melt flow behaviour is a known issue in unfilled PEEK. Under ISO 1133-1 at 380 °C with a 5 kg load, melt volumetric flow may vary between production lots due to molecular weight differences. This variation changes extrusion pressure and layer adhesion; injection moulding grades of PEEK may not print like film-grade PEEK. Incoming lots should be checked for moisture and melt-flow behaviour before production. If no melt-flow data is supplied, a standard test coupon printed at fixed temperature and speed can reveal lot drift.
Printed PEEK blanks are often machined to final dimensions because FFF cannot hold ±0.05 mm tolerances on sealing faces. Machining generates local heating, and unfilled PEEK has relatively low thermal conductivity of 0.29 W/(m·K) under ISO 22007-2, so coolant or air blast is used to avoid gumming and thermal expansion. Precision parts are annealed before final machining to prevent later dimensional drift.
On production-scale systems with a build chamber of 300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm or larger, the dominant bottleneck is not extrusion temperature but chamber temperature uniformity. Thermal gradients across the build volume cause differential crystallisation, with lower-crystallinity zones at the chamber door and higher crystallinity zones near the bed. This produces anisotropic shrinkage and layered parts that pass visual inspection but fail under tensile load. Mechanical data from printed coupons should be compared with machined TECAPEEK VX black resin data under the same ISO 527-2 conditioning state. For parts with wall thickness above 5 mm, solid infill creates long residence times and can increase crystallinity, embrittlement, and sink marks; sparse infill changes dielectric properties and should be avoided in electrical insulation applications unless validated.
Material handling must account for the high processing temperatures. Contact with molten PEEK or heated bed surfaces above 150 °C requires high-temperature gloves. Fumes from PEEK processing are generally low; nevertheless, local exhaust ventilation is recommended when processing above 400 °C, and workplace exposure limits should be verified under national occupational hygiene regulations. Spools should be kept away from direct sunlight and sources of moisture until dried.
