Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is of particular interest as an engineering thermoplastic due to its high temperature thermal transitions, high crystallizability, mechanical strength, and low chemical reactivity. The effort to find new solvents capable of dissolving PEEK has produced relatively few solvent options, and, only recently, solvents in which PEEK will form stable gels, hydrogels, and aerogels following solvent exchange. In this report, small angle x-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy are utilized as complementary techniques to characterize the hierarchical nanostructure of PEEK aerogels. The form and spatial distribution of the morphological features are correlated to processing conditions such as solvent selection, drying technique (freeze-drying versus supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> extraction), and gel concentration.

Morphological considerations in the design of mechanically robust aerogels from engineering thermoplastics

2019 Fall National Meeting

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