Super engineering plastics – PEI(Polyetherimide)

I am fine and beautiful! But it’s not something you can get with money!

PEI, polyetherimide, English Polyetherimide, is an amber transparent solid, non-crystalline super engineering plastic.
At present, the PEI global market is basically monopolized by SABIC, which can almost be said to be a unique business. After SABIC acquired GE Materials Group, it inherited all the capabilities of PEI from synthesis to modification in the GE era. In mainland China, it is not easy to buy PEI with original packaging: SABIC does not have a PEI synthesis factory in mainland China, and generally only the Shanghai factory will buy PEI from the United States/ Spain . Synthetic factories import raw powder base materials for modification and granulation, and SABIC’s Chinese subsidiary and its distributors will only store some general specifications.
As for many specifications of PEI, it is difficult to buy in China, or even almost impossible to buy (some specifications are only directed to a few factories; some special specifications related to aerospace and military industries, the United States restricts exports to China). So far, there is no domestic company that produces synthetic PEI on an industrial scale. Basically, companies that produce PEI products buy SABIC base materials or modified particles through various channels, and even the molded products are spouted and crushed for secondary processing. Modified.

Compared with other aromatic polyimides, PEI is a thermoplastic polyimide with lower cost and higher yield. Its molecular structure contains aromatic amine functional groups and ether bond structure.
Due to the special molecular structure of PEI, the aromatic ring and imide ring make it have rigid creep resistance and high temperature stability, and the ether bond makes it flexible for thermoplastic molding.
Not only that, PEI also has excellent infrared transparency, chemical resistance, radiation resistance and fatigue resistance, molding processability and outstanding electrical properties, and its long-term creep resistance under high temperature and stress also allows it to be used in many Substitution of metals and other materials in structural equipment.
In addition, when adding glass fiber, carbon fiber or other fillers, it can be enhanced and modified to further improve the performance of PEI.
Therefore, for applications involving high temperature resistance, dimensional stability, infrared transmission, and dielectric stability, PEI has very strong advantages, so it is widely used in 5G communications, aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer electronics, optical communications and other fields. widely.
5G communication

PEI materials can be used as optical fiber connectors for optical communications, optical components of optical transceiver modules, radio frequency connector insulators, printed circuit boards, filter tuning screws, chip casings, explosion-proof boxes, etc. In addition, foamed PEI materials are used in millimeter wave radomes also has the advantage
Aerospace
PEI materials can be used in various structural components such as aircraft portholes, nose parts , seat backs, interior wall panels, door covering air and fuel valves, food tray containers, and items for passengers. Composites of PEI and carbon fiber have been used in the construction of various parts of the latest helicopters.
PEI materials can be used for control valves, oil pumps, high-power lights and indicators, laser radars, sensors, steering wheels and other components of automobiles, as well as vacuum pump impellers and ground glass joints (sockets) that are resistant to high-temperature lubricating oil erosion. . PEI film can be used as a high temperature dielectric film for capacitors.

PEI materials can be used in medical devices. Such as ventilators, anesthesia machines, sterilization trays, surgical guides, pipettes and laboratory animal cages, etc.
Overview of PEI Manufacturers
According to statistics, the global PEI market size will reach 4.044 billion yuan (RMB) in 2021. Based on the global economic policy situation and market dynamics, the report predicts that the global PEI market will reach 5.645 billion yuan by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.84%.

It can be said that PEI is the polyimide product with the largest output, the most widely used and the most economic benefits. At present, the core manufacturers of PEI mainly include SABIC and RTP in the world. Next, I will introduce two well-known Chinese and foreign PEI manufacturers and their current situation for your reference.

1. The foundation of SAB
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation ( SABIC) was established in 1976, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and started production in 1981. Since its inception, SABIC has grown to become the second most valuable brand in the global chemical industry.

In 2002, SABIC began to expand globally. It first acquired the petrochemical business of DSM Group in Europe, and then invested and built factories in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. In 2006, SABIC acquired Huntsman Petrochemicals (UK). In 2007, SABIC completed the acquisition of GE Plastics and began selling ULTEM™ PEI resin.
SABIC currently manufactures ULTEM™ resins at two sites located in Mount Vernon, Indiana, USA and in Cartagena, Spain. In 2018, SABIC announced the expansion of ULTEM™ production capacity in Singapore, which will be operational in 2022, thereby increasing global production by 50%.
(Note: Due to limited information, it is currently impossible to determine the specific production capacity of SABIC in PEI. According to data, SABIC has a market share of 70.36% in 2016)
1. American RTP

American RTP (Antepo) is located in Winona, Minnesota, USA. Recognized as a global leader in specialty compounds, RTP develops thousands of custom thermoplastic formulations each year serving the electronics, automotive, appliance, consumer product, medical device, and sports and leisure markets.
At present, RTP has used more than 60 kinds of resins for modification and customized production, and has demonstrated unique technical advantages and great competition in the fields of modified plastics such as color matching, electrical conductivity, flame retardancy, high temperature resistance, structural reinforcement and wear resistance. strong market advantage. Antep Engineering Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. is its first production plant invested in China.

To purchase PEI resin, visit the website：www.polymersx.com