Zeus PEEK insulated wire is designed specifically
for challenging environments within the oil and gas,
automotive, aerospace, and electrical industries.
With dielectric strength of over 3,000 V/mil and a
continuous service temperature of 260°C (500 °F),
PEEK insulated wire offers superior abrasion resistance
and the ability to withstand the intense pressure and
caustic fluids found in downhole environments.
PEEK Insulated wire has a diverse range of beneficial
properties, such as:
• Robustness to handle the moisture, temperature,
and pressures of SAGD environments
• Customizable extrusions including rectangular and
square insulated wire
• Chemically inert for use in caustic environments
PEEK insulated wire drives equipment performance in
harsh environments and is utilized in electric motors,
generators, transformers, solenoids, and other
electromechancial equipment.

PEEK insulated wire drives motor performance
and has shown improvements in motor Q
factor, capacitance, and partial discharge.

Zeus PEEK Insulated Wire is designed specifically for

can all benefit from using PEEK Insulated Wire.

APPLICATIONS
• Electric motors
• Solenoids
• Transformers
• Electronics
• Wire and cable
CAPABILITIES AND SIZING
• Round: #3 - #40 AWG sizes
• Spool weights up to 200 Lbs
• Wall thickness range = .001” - .080”
• Stranded sizes and custom shapes
available upon request
• Alloy: Copper (customer alloys and
plating available upon request)
KEY PROPERTIES
• PEEK polymer is UL rated up to
260 °C (500 °F)
• Abrasion resistance
• Excellent dielectric strength
• Chemical resistance
• Halogen free
• Thermal conductivity .29 W/mK
• 100% AC spark tested during extrusion

APPLICATIONS

• Motors
• Generators
• Solenoids
• Transformers
• Wire harnesses
• #3 - #40 AWG sizes including ½ sizes
• Wall thickness ranging from
0.001˝ - 0.015˝ (0.025 mm - 0.381 mm)
• 100% AC spark tested during extrusion
• Amorphous or crystalline PEEK insulated
wire available
• Round, stranded, square, and rectangular
profiles available
• Various types of wire available, including
silver and nickel-plated wire, as well as
custom wire types
• Can be spliced using Zeus PEEKshrink™
• Continuous operating temperature up to
500 °F (260 °C)
• Outstanding abrasion resistance
• Excellent dielectric strength
• Exceptional chemical resistance
• Corrosion protection

PEEK is a polymer that is a highly versatile and thus popular thermoplastic. As a
polarizable dielectric, PEEK has also become popular for its insulating characteristics
and is increasingly being explored towards these applications. We at Zeus examined
these aspects of PEEK and its potential for applications involving electric motors. We
compared motor performance of a readily obtainable 0.75 horsepower, 4-pole, 460
volt, AC induction motor with same motor rebuilt with Zeus PEEK insulated magnet
wire and other PEEK insulating products. We found that the motor rebuilt with Zeus
PEEK insulated wire performed equal to or better than the OEM motor in nearly every
general performance attribute that was tested.

INTRODUCTION TO PEEK POLYMER
Polyether ether ketone, or PEEK, is a
highly popular thermoplastic polymer.
This organic compound is part of the
family of PAEK (polyaryl ether ketone)
polymers which includes other familiar
names such as PEK (polyether ketone),
and PEKK (polyether ketone ketone).
PEEK, like many PAEK family members,
is a semi-crystalline polymer at room
temperature and is composed of ether and
ketone linkages on either side of single
aryl moieties (Fig. 1). As a thermoplastic,
PEEK does not decompose at its melt
temperature making it very amenable to
melt processing where it can be made into
a highly diverse collection of other forms.
While the thermoplastic industry has
continued to turn out new and ever more
specialized plastics, PEEK remains as one
of the most important members of this
vastly influential group of polymer
plastics.

POPULAR PROPERTIES
Although a relative newcomer to the world of thermoplastics (ca. 1978), PEEK has
rapidly gained in popularity because of many exceptionally useful properties. Aside
from its processability, PEEK is an extremely hard material which translates into high
strength and long life for finished products. PEEK’s hardness also imparts excellent
resistance to abrasion (wear) and galling with a low coefficient of friction. PEEK, like
many members of the PAEK family, has relatively low water absorption and is highly
unsusceptible to hydrolysis [2, 3]. These attributes contribute to PEEK’s extended
usage life before embrittlement. Similarly, PEEK is resistant to almost all commonly
encountered solvents, detergents, and other chemicals with certain halogenated acids
and sulphuric acid being among the few substances that affect it. One of PEEK’s most
cited properties, however, is its high temperature tolerance where many other similar
polymers fail. PEEK melts near 343 °C (649 °F) and has a practical service temperature
upper limit of 260 °C (500 °F) with some properties retained above this temperature
(Table 1). (PEEK’s lower temperature limit extends below -70 °C / -94 °F) [4, 5].
Thus, PEEK is one of the most thermally stable polymers. Together, these properties
give PEEK extensive possibilities for application across many environments.

VERSATILITY OF PEEK
PEEK is a polymer that has found its way into a multitude of highly specialized and
general application fields. As a thermoplastic with exceptional hardness, PEEK can be
injection molded into parts such as pipe flanges, engine components, dental implants,
structural parts, and even load-bearing parts such as bushings or bearings. PEEK is also
very machinable for finer tolerances such as those necessary for screws or other
threaded parts. PEEK can be extruded to form a broad spectrum of radial parts
including gears, joint seats, conventional tubing, and even a heat shrinkable form (Zeus
PEEKshrink®).

PEEK’s properties also make it highly suited
to products such as pharmaceutical and food
packaging as well as components used in
biomedical applications. PEEK can be
produced as a drawn fiber or extruded as a
monofilament. Capable of fine extrusions,
PEEK can be coated over fiber optics as a
strengthening layer or over wires as a
protective and insulating layer (Fig. 2). With
PEEK’s ability to be made into such a wide
array of products, it is not surprising that it
has made its way into industries including
chemical, medical, oil and gas exploration,
automotive, and aerospace.

ELECTRICAL RELEVANCE
PEEK’s many exceptional attributes as a thermoplastic mean that new applications for
it are always on the horizon. By the late 1970’s, polymer engineers began exploring
whether PEEK was viable as a coating to electrical wires because of PEEK’s dielectric
properties [6, 7]. Of particular interest for electric performance is PEEK’s behavior as
an insulator. PEEK is completely covalently bonded, thus it has no mobile electrons
resulting in excellent insulating properties. As a dielectric, however, PEEK is easily
polarizable allowing it to store electrical energy. The limit of a dielectric to store this
energy is its dielectric strength. If placed in a voltage that exceeds a material’s
dielectric strength, the material will fail or break down as an insulator. This failure can
manifest as either a thermal or an electrical failure at which the dielectric no longer is
viable. (Thus, dielectric strength is also referred to as breakdown voltage). In practical
terms, the higher the dielectric strength of a material, the better its insulating properties.
Dielectric strength is thickness-dependent and typically given in volts per unit
thickness, V/mil or kV/mil. For PEEK, depending on its purity and other physical
factors, its dielectric strength may range from 0.5 – 20 kV/mil (ASTM D149) enabling
PEEK to be used for a wide variety of insulating needs.

PEEK’s morphology also plays a
role in its insulating abilities.
Although PEEK polymeric chains
can be viewed as linear overall,
their conformation in space is of a
bent molecule involving multiple
twists (Fig. 3). Thus, PEEK
morphology is variable from
nearly completely amorphous to
more crystalline depending on the
packing nature of the polymer
chains. For thermoplastics in
general, more crystalline forms
exhibit better insulating
characteristics, and this is true of
PEEK as well. Furthermore, steps
in polymer processing allow morphology to be controlled within certain limits. This
attribute has particular relevance for PEEK coated magnet wire for use in electric
motors. PEEK’s insulating properties thus can be guided during the coating process to
conform to physical requirements to produce optimal dielectric strength based on the
intended application. Since dielectric strength is partly a function of material thickness
as well as morphological properties, it logically follows that the choice of material is
weighed carefully under circumstances where high voltages may be likely or when the
required thickness of the dielectric – such as a coating over wire – is very small.
Apart from dielectric strength, a material’s insulating properties can be described by
its dielectric constant. This parameter (also known as permittivity) describes how a
material polarizes at the atomic level compared to the polarizability of a vacuum and
therefore the degree to which it can store electrical energy. While dielectrics are
insulators because of their polarizability, the more easily they are polarized, the more
electrical energy they are able to store making them better insulators. Dielectric
constant reflects how much an electric field is dampened or reduced in the presence of
the dielectric compared to a vacuum. As an example, the dielectric constant for a
vacuum is given as 1, for air 1.00059, and for PEEK ~3.0. The lower the dielectric
constant, the better the insulating properties of the material because of its ability to be
polarized yet store electrical energy in the presence of an electric field and not conduct
electricity. The advantage of an insulating wire coating with such properties thus
becomes clear: As an example, PEEK coating on a magnet wire, serving as a dielectric,
or insulator, reduces the effective electric field between the wire and its external or
surrounding environment such as a metal motor frame or ground. Well-insulated wire,
therefore, minimizes electrical loss during operation and increases the efficiency of the
motor.

The insulating capacity of a material is not confined to planar dimensions. Volume
resistivity accounts for the material’s resistance (inverse conductance) in three
dimensional space, typically given for a volume of unity. Volume resistivity is
commonly given as ohms ∙ cm (Ω ∙ cm). This characteristic, in practical terms,
measures how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current through a cubic
volume of the material. The lower the resistivity, the greater the conductivity of the
material and vice versa. A commonly held perspective on volume resistivity is that
materials with < 105 Ω ∙ cm resistivity are considered conductive while those with
resistivities > 10 9 are considered insulators [8]. The volume resistivity for PEEK
normally lies in the range of 1.6-7 × 1016 Ω ∙ cm (ASTM D257) identifying PEEK as a
good insulator [8].

While PEEK’s mechanical characteristics impart significant strength and protection to
wire as a coating, PEEK’s ultimate benefit as an extruded coating for magnet wire and
motor applications is its electrical performance attributes. PEEK resists electrical
leakage and can be applied in uniform thickness for predictable performance. PEEK’s
insulating benefits can be achieved with very thin extruded coatings while still
retaining significant crystallinity. Yet, the thin extruded layer of PEEK over the wire
means that the wire is still highly amenable to manipulation such as bending and
wrapping for coil windings. PEEK’s chemical resistance is especially preferred since
it will likely be exposed to electrical varnishes, solvents, and coolants when used over
magnet wire. PEEK-coated wire’s tough exterior also protects it from damage and
abrasion during normal motor build and wire installation. While no one type of polymer
provides all of the optimal traits for improved motor performance, PEEK’s across-the-
board attributes makes it highly desirable for magnet wire and motor insulation.

Throughout the testing, the motor rebuilt with Zeus PEEK insulated magnet wire (and
other PEEK products) exhibited equal to or better performance attributes than the OEM
motor in multiple areas. The motor rebuilt with Zeus PEEK products showed lower
leakage and shorter absorption times; this motor also exhibited greater efficiency with
less insulation system losses. These results suggest less aptitude for failure in inverter
applications following motor rewind with Zeus PEEK insulated magnet wire (and other
PEEK products). Collectively, our testing highlighted the superior insulating properties
of PEEK and how these properties can be applied in a practical yet highly beneficial
way.

SUMMARY
Polyether ether ketone, commonly referred to as PEEK, is a highly versatile
thermoplastic polymer. Among PEEK’s many beneficial properties is its ability to be
melt processed into a multitude of different forms. PEEK’s properties give parts made
with this polymer very high hardness and wear resistance. These parts also exhibit
exceptional chemical resistance. PEEK’s temperature tolerance sets it apart from many
PAEK (polyaryl ether ketone) family members with its ability to withstand working
temperatures to 260 °C (500 °F). Thus, PEEK has become a preferred material for an
extensive and diverse array of applications.
As knowledge and interest in polymer plastics grew, these materials became
particularly favored for use as insulators. Their processability allows a degree of
control over many of their properties such as thickness, shape, and crystallinity
pertinent to use in electrical settings. As a representative dielectric from this group,
PEEK is polarizable and exhibits many properties especially favorable for use in
electric motors. PEEK’s mechanical attributes enable it to be extruded over wire for
motor coil windings, and PEEK’s heat resistance easily withstands the high
temperatures that could be reached under continuous motor operation. Indeed, polymer
plastics including PEEK have become commonplace in many electrical applications.
To explore whether PEEK could be used to affect motor performance in a beneficial
way, we compared a small commonly obtainable 0.75 horsepower, 4-pole, 460 volt,
AC induction motor with original equipment insulating materials and magnet wire to
the same motor rebuilt with Zeus PEEK insulation products including PEEK insulated
magnet wire and PEEK Lay-Flat ® tubing for phase insulation and as slot liners. We
found that for basic motor operation, the OEM and rebuilt motors exhibited nearly
identical outputs for capacitance to ground, insulation to ground, inductance, low ohm
resistance, impedance, current/frequency (I/F) response, and capacitive phase angle.
For polarization index, the motor rebuilt with Zeus PEEK products polarized to 1
TeraOhm compared to the 10 GigaOhm of the OEM motor. For other test outcomes,
the motor rebuilt with Zeus products showed improvements over the OEM motor in D
factor, Q factor, and capacitance. The rebuilt motor also showed slightly higher rpm
than the OEM motor under the same load suggesting a gain of efficiency for the rebuilt
motor. In totality, the motor rebuilt with Zeus PEEK insulated wire (and other PEEK
products) showed performance equal or better than the OEM motor highlighting the
superior insulating characteristics of PEEK insulated wire and other PEEK products
and the potential to improve motor performance and efficiency.