The most common question asked when selecting an advanced filament is “What is the maximum temperature <plastic> can handle?” While the question is reasonable, it is completely unanswerable.
Broadly speaking, the higher the temperature rises, the weaker the plastic becomes. This often happens gradually; therefore, the higher the strain in an application, the lower the “Maximum Temperature” is considered to be.
Some plastics also exhibit creep, a situation where a plastic component slowly deforms in response to continuously applied force. This effect can also vary with temperature.
This phrase is commonly found on this wiki and generally refers to the temperature that a well-calibrated print at that temperature can support some loads (e.g. AB Motor mounts on Vorons) at that ambient/chamber temperature.
This number lacks a certain scientific rigor and should only be used as the starting point for your own research.
Identifying the “Maximum Temperature” of a particular polymer for a particular application is non-trivial. While datasheets or HDT testing can provide critical inputs or points of comparison, no one number is likely to provide directly applicable data for your project.