Evonik has unveiled its new PEEK Rectangular Magnet Wire Lab, marking a strategic push into advanced materials for electric mobility at CHINAPLAS 2026.

 

The facility, designed for the fast-growing Chinese and broader Asian markets, will focus on research and development of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) powder-based applications for electric motors—particularly in new energy vehicles (NEVs), including hybrid and fully electric platforms.

 

“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 lab will tackle core engineering challenges in magnet wire production, including coating design, adhesion performance, dimensional precision, and process optimization. 

 

It will also run advanced reliability testing in collaboration with third-party organizations, assessing breakdown voltage (BDV), partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV), corona resistance, and oil-aging resistance to validate long-term safety and durability in EV systems.

 

In addition, the facility will support sample preparation, formulation testing, and benchmarking against existing materials, helping accelerate customer development cycles and product qualification.

 

“As NEV drive systems evolve toward higher power density, higher efficiency, and greater reliability, magnet wires used in motors place increasingly stringent requirements on heat resistance, electrical performance, and long-term stability of insulation materials,” the company noted.

 

“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.”