Graphite vs. PEEK
Graphite and PEEK belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Graphite is a ceramic material, while PEEK is polymeric. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 13 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (18, in this case) are not shown.
For each property being compared, the top bar is graphite and the bottom bar is PEEK.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa | 90 | |
120 to 300 |
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 21 | |
4.0 to 24 |
Flexural Strength, MPa | 80 | |
150 to 330 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 18 | |
97 to 200 |
Thermal Properties
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 220 | |
330 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 6.0 | |
0.25 to 0.93 |
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 4.9 | |
15 to 52 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Density, g/cm3 | 1.8 | |
1.3 to 1.5 |
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 6.7 | |
1.5 to 10 |
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 53 | |
36 to 73 |
Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 2.9 | |
20 to 41 |
Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 8.7 | |
36 to 55 |
Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 12 | |
34 to 57 |