Humanoid robots give rise to a wave of expansion in the production of polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Since 2025, multiple companies have intensively released news related to the expansion of PEEK (polyetheretherketone) production. From the 81 million yuan PEEK polymerization project invested by Huitong Corporation, to the planning of a global leading production capacity of 12000 tons by Ningbo Huaxiang, and then to the construction of a new 2000 ton production line by China Research and Development Corporation, this expansion wave covering the entire chain of resin synthesis and modification processing not only demonstrates the company's recognition of the value of this material, but also indicates that the special engineering plastics industry is undergoing structural changes. As a material known as the "crown" of engineering plastics, PEEK's unique properties and broad application space are the core driving force behind this industry boom.
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PEEK: A "strategic grade" special material with excellent performance
PEEK is an amber semi crystalline polymer. Since its successful development by the former British company ICI in 1978, it has been listed as a strategic material and subject to export restrictions in many countries due to its excellent comprehensive performance. In terms of core performance, PEEK exhibits a "versatile" characteristic:
In terms of mechanical strength, its specific strength is 8 times that of aluminum alloy, but its density is less than half of aluminum alloy, making it an ideal choice for lightweight design; In terms of chemical stability, it can withstand harsh environments such as acid, alkali, and organic solvents, and can withstand up to 30000 high-pressure steam sterilization cycles at 134 ℃; In addition, PEEK has excellent electrical insulation, wear resistance, and biocompatibility, especially in complex scenarios such as no lubrication, heavy load, and low speed, where its wear resistance is significantly better than polytetrafluoroethylene. The combination of these characteristics has always occupied the core position of special materials in the process of moving from the laboratory to the industrial end.
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Market pattern: International monopoly loosens, domestic substitution accelerates breakthrough
The global PEEK production has long shown a pattern of "one super and many strong", with international giants occupying a dominant position by virtue of their technological first mover advantage. Among them, Victrex in the UK is the world's largest producer with a production capacity of 7150 tons per year, accounting for about 60% of the total global production capacity, and has strong pricing power in the high-end market; Solvay from Belgium and Evonik from Germany rank second and third respectively with production capacities of 2500 tons/year and 1800 tons/year, mainly focusing on high-end fields such as aerospace and healthcare. These companies have long monopolized the global market by controlling the supply of core raw material fluoroketone (DFBP) and optimizing polymerization processes. Previously, more than 80% of the domestic market share was occupied by European and American companies.
In recent years, domestic enterprises have gradually broken through monopolies through technological breakthroughs, forming a domestic force with China Research and Development Corporation as its core. As a leading PEEK company in China, China Research and Development Corporation has become the fourth enterprise in the world with a thousand ton production capacity, with a current capacity of 1000 tons per year. In addition to China Research and Development Corporation, companies such as Waters Corporation, Huitong Corporation, and Ningbo Huaxiang have also accelerated their layout. Among them, Waters Corporation's Chongqing base has entered the trial production stage with a 2000 ton/year production line, and Ningbo Huaxiang's planned 12000 ton production capacity will further rewrite the global supply pattern. On the raw material side, Xinhan New Materials has achieved large-scale production of fluoroketone through process innovation, providing core support for cost reduction of domestic PEEK.

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Application scenario: Comprehensive penetration from high-end manufacturing to the field of people's livelihood
The application scenarios of PEEK have extended from the initial aerospace field to diverse markets such as new energy, healthcare, and electronics. In the aerospace field, its low density and hydrolysis resistance make it an ideal material for aircraft internal and external components, which can replace metals such as aluminum and titanium to manufacture bolts, nuts, and engine parts. At the same time, its flame retardancy and low smoke emission can improve flight safety, and it is used in key structures such as rocket battery slots.
Medical health is one of the core growth areas of PEEK, and its excellent biocompatibility makes it the preferred substitute material for human bones. The medical grade PEEK products of China Research and Development Corporation have passed FDA certification, with an elastic modulus close to that of human bones. They are suitable for dental instruments, endoscopes, bone implants and other scenarios, and have outstanding performance in the field of surgical instruments with repeated sterilization requirements. In the field of electronics and electrical engineering, Zhongyan Corporation has developed targeted semiconductor solutions. Its high-purity characteristics can reduce electrostatic damage during wafer transportation, and its high-temperature insulation performance is suitable for manufacturing processes such as ultrapure water transportation systems and wafer trays, solving the special needs of the semiconductor industry.
The outbreak of emerging industries has opened up more incremental space. In the field of humanoid robots, PEEK's self-lubricating and wear-resistant properties make it the core material for joints and gears. The single unit usage is expected to reach 5-10kg, and according to the global annual production of one million units, it will form a market worth billions of yuan; In the field of new energy vehicles, PEEK products from Waters Corporation and Zhaomin Technology have entered the supply chains of Tesla and Yushu, and are used for components such as transmission systems and reducers to achieve metal substitution. In addition, in petroleum geological exploration, PEEK can withstand high temperatures of 200 ℃ and pressures of 140MPa, and is widely used in data detection probes, demonstrating its application value in extreme environments.
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Future expectations: Capacity release and demand explosion drive growth
The PEEK market is experiencing a dual benefit of "supply upgrade+demand explosion". On the supply side, the expansion of domestic enterprises' production will gradually alleviate the supply-demand contradiction. After the addition of a 2000 ton production line and a 5000 ton supporting project by China Research and Development Corporation in 2026, the domestic market share is expected to exceed 40%. Coupled with the release of production capacity by enterprises such as Ningbo Huaxiang and Wote Corporation, the cost of domestic PEEK is expected to further decrease from the current 400-500 yuan/kg, breaking the price constraint.
On the demand side, emerging industries will become the core driving force. According to public information, the global PEEK market size is expected to reach nearly 7 billion yuan by 2025, with the Chinese market reaching 2.18 billion yuan. By 2031, it is expected to surpass 13.1 billion yuan and 5 billion yuan respectively, with a compound annual growth rate of 14.4% for the Chinese market. The commercialization of scenarios such as humanoid robots and low altitude economy (eVTOL) will continue to drive demand growth. However, it should be noted that technological iteration and cost control are still key - only by maintaining performance advantages through process optimization and relying on economies of scale to reduce prices, can PEEK move from a "niche high-end" to a broader civilian market, truly achieving a leap from strategic materials to mass applications.