Raman spectroscopy investigation on amorphous polyetherketoneketone (PEKK)

Abstract

We used Raman spectroscopy to analyze amorphous polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) and identified the conditions to obtain this material’s exploitable Raman spectrum. Our study assigns the vibrational modes observed from 100 spectra recorded on the amorphous PEKK’s surface, obtained by injection moulding. The peaks recorded on this polymer are specific to its amorphous microstructure. The vibration modes are similar to PEK and PEEK since they belong to the same family of materials, the polyaryletherketones. However, PEKK has a unique molecular structure with a ketone content of 67 % and an ether content of 33 %, resulting in an amplification or appearance of vibration modes associated with the ketone group’s vibrations and a decrease in the modes related to the ether group. This work provides a valuable database for those studying the microstructure of PEKK and its evolution with processing conditions and ageing.