Evonik Launches New PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab in China

Evonik has announced the launch of its PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab at an inauguration ceremony held during the CHINAPLAS international exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry. The facility is designed to support the needs of key Chinese and broader Asian markets, focusing on research and innovation in polyether ether ketone (PEEK) powder-based applications for electric motors. In particular, the lab will target solutions for new energy vehicles (NEVs), including hybrid and fully electric vehicles, which represent a rapidly expanding segment of both regional and global automotive markets.

“The NEV industry chain in China and across Asia Pacific is rapidly moving upmarket and globalizing, raising the bar for performance limits and delivery speed of critical materials,” said Jinhong Zhang, Vice President and General Manager of Evonik’s Asia-Pacific region, High Performance Polymers business line. “This lab will support our work with partners to advance the large-scale adoption of VESTAKEEP® PEEK solutions in electric-drive systems, magnet wires, and equipment. The aim is to further develop our range of VESTAKEEP® PEEK solutions to withstand even higher temperatures, higher voltages, and more demanding operating conditions—and as such, provide strong support for improved efficiency and enhanced reliability of NEV electric-drive systems.”

The Evonik PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab will focus on addressing key technical challenges in magnet wire applications, such as optimizing processing parameters, designing coating structures, improving adhesion performance, and ensuring precise control over dimensions and concentricity. In collaboration with third-party organizations, the lab will conduct reliability testing on critical electrical properties, including breakdown voltage (BDV), partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV), corona resistance, and oil-aging resistance. This will help ensure material reliability for the safe and long-term operation of electric-drive systems in new energy vehicles (NEVs).

Additionally, the lab will support sample preparation, validation of new PEEK formulations, and benchmarking against standard products, enabling customers to accelerate product development and qualification processes. As NEV drive systems continue to advance towards higher power density, improved efficiency, and enhanced reliability, magnet wires used in motors are subject to increasingly stringent requirements, particularly in terms of heat resistance, electrical performance, and long-term insulation stability.

“By establishing this magnet wire application laboratory, Evonik lays the foundation hopes to work more closely with customers and value-chain partners,” said Felix Teng, Director of Innovation Management in Evonik’s Asia-Pacific region, High Performance Polymers business line. “Our aim is to translate the material performance advantages that VESTAKEEP® PEEK has in motor magnet wire applications into full-system solutions that can be verified through testing and scaled up for mass production.”

The Evonik PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab is designed to support the entire process chain, from copper conductor pretreatment and PEEK extrusion coating to in-line dimensional inspection and final winding. The facility also features a new pilot extrusion line equipped with globally advanced core components and locally engineered integration, delivering a combination of high quality, reliability, and operational flexibility.

Source: Evonik