PEEK is hard to bond — and that is a feature for the mouth, a headache for the lab. You must earn the bond.
Why it resists
PEEK's inert, low-surface-energy surface rejects standard phosphate primers. A direct composite bond fails at the interface within months.
How to make it stick
- Silica-coat (e.g., silica sandblasting / 30 µm Al₂O₃ + silica) to create a bondable layer.
- Prime with a silica-friendly adhesive (MMA-based, not classic etch).
- Mechanically retain — grooves and undercuts beat chemistry alone.
Bond PEEK to composite only after silica treatment; raw PEEK + composite is a future debond.
Machine the frame from our PEEK discs, then surface-treat per the above.
Treatment protocols
| Method | Effect |
|---|---|
| 30 µm Al₂O₃ + silica | Silica layer, bondable |
| Plasma | Surface energy up |
| Primer MMA | Wets silica |
Make the bond last
- Silica-coat, do not just sandblast — grit alone gives no chemical grip.
- Use an MMA-based primer; classic phosphoric etch does nothing to PEEK.
- Build mechanical retention with grooves; chemistry alone fails.
- Test shear on a scrap PEEK tab before the case.