Originally designed for the automotive and aerospace industries, these PAEK and carbon fiber sheets are a substitute for metal because they’re as light as aluminum and as strong as a nickel alloy. Their combination of high strength, light weight, chemical resistance, and thermal properties is unusual for a composite. High tension won’t break them apart and extreme compression won’t shrink or crack them. They’re also stiff and withstand abrasions and dents from heavy loads. Cleaning and degreasing chemicals, such as acetone and isopropyl alcohol, won’t damage them. Unlike most composites, they’re recyclable too.

Form these sheets into the shapes you need using heat and pressure. Compared to PEEK composites, they don’t need as high of a curing temperature to thermoform them, so they save you time and energy. Different from composites made with adhesives and epoxies, which you must machine, layer, and cure, you can repeatedly and quickly heat and form these sheets without hurting their strength or chemical resistance. However, they will soften if the operating temperature exceeds 500° F—a higher maximum temperature than other thermoformable composites.