Chemical Resistance Charts

Definitions
Max.temp (°C) Transparency Autoclavable* Sterilization(a) Specific Gravity Flexibility Brittleness temp.
(°C)		 Permeability(b) Tensile strength (Psi) Absorption %
Gas Dry Heat Chem. N2 O2 CO2
HDPE High density polyethylene 120 Transluc. With Caution** Yes No Yes 0.95 Rigid -100 3 10 45 4000 0.01
LDPE Low density polyethylene 80 Transluc. No Yes No Yes 0.92 Excel. -100 20 20 280 2000 0.01
PP Polypropylene 135 Transluc. Yes Yes No Yes 0.90 Rigid 0 4 25 90 5000 0.02
PC Polycarbonate 135 Clear Yes*** Yes No Yes 1.20 Rigid -135 3 20 85 8000 0.35
PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene 250 Opaque Yes Yes Yes Yes 1.70 Mod. -100 - - - 6500 0.10
PVC Polyvinyl chloride 70 Clear No Yes No Yes 1.34 Rigid -30 0.5 1 10 6500 0.06
ABS Acronitrile butadene styrene 80 Opaque No Yes No Yes 1.05 Rigid -20 2 6 35 7000 0.30
PS Polystyrene 70 Clear No Yes No Yes 1.04 Rigid -20 25 6000 0.05
*Autoclaving : clean & rinse with distilled water before autoclaving. Certain chemicals which have no appreciable effect on resins at room temperatures, may cause deterioration at autoclaving temperatures unless removed with distilled water beforehand.
** Can be autoclaved at 120°C for 20 minutes
*** Autoclaving reduces mechanical strength.
Do not use PC vessels for vacuum applications if they have been autoclaved.
(a) GAS Ethylene oxide
DRY HEAT at 160°C
CHEMICAL: Benzalkonium chloride, formaline, ethanol etc.
(b) Permeability unit = (cc x mm) / (sec x cm2 x cmHg) x 10-10


Chemical Resistance

Reagent (20°C)

 HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE
Inorganic acids E B E E E
Organic acids E B E E E
Oxidizing agents conc. B N B B E
Alcohols B B E E E
Aldehydes B B E E E
Amines B N B B E
Bases E N E E E
Ketones B N B B E
Ethers B S B B E
Esters E B E E E
Glycols E B E E E
Aliphatic hydrocarbons B S B B E
Aromatic hydrocarbons B N B B E
Halogenated hyrdocarbons B N B B E
Mineral oils E E S S E
Vegetable oils B B B B E
Lubricating oils E B E B E
E = excellent resistance; no etching
B = good resistance; little etching after 30 days exposure to reagent
S = fair resistance; etching after 7 days to exposure to reagent
N = not recommended


Chemical Resistance Chart

Reagent

 HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Actaldehyde B S S N B N B N E E
Acetone E E N N E E E E E E
Acetic acid E E E B E E E E E E
Aluminum hydroxide E E S N E B E B E E
Ammonium chlodide E E E E E E E E E E
Ammonium hydroxide 5% E E S N E E E E E E
Ammonium hydroxide 28% E E N N E B E B E E
Amyl chloride S N N N N N N N E E
Aniline E B S N B S E B E E
Banzaldehyde E E S N E B E B E E
Benzene B B N N B S S N E E
Boric acid E E E E E E E E E E
Bromine S N S N N N N N E E
Bromoform N N N N N N N N E E
Butadiene S N N N N N N N E E
Butyl acetate E B N N B S B S E E
Butyl alcohol E E B S E E E B E E
Butyric acid S N S N N N N N E E
Calcium hydroxide E E N N E E E E E E
Calcium hypochloride E E S N E E E E E E

Reagent

 HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Carbon disulphide N N N N N N N N E E
Carbon tetrachloride B S N N B S S N E E
Cellosolve E E S N E B E B E E
Chlorine in air E S E B B N B N E E
Chlorine (moist) B S B S B N B N E E
Chloroform B S N N B S S N E E
Citric add. E E E E E E E E E E
Cresol S N N N B S N N E E
Cyclohexane E B E B S S B S E E
p-dichlorobenzene B S N N B S S N E E
Diethylene glycol E E B S E E E E E E
Diethylene formamide E E N N E E E E E E
Dioxane B B B S B S B S E E
Ethyl acetate E E N N E E E E E E
Ethyl alcohol E E E B E B E B E E
Ethyl chloride S S N N S N S N E E
Ethylene chloride B S N N S N B N E E
Ethylene oxide S S S N S S B S E E
Ethyl ether N N N N N N S N E E
Formaldehyde E E E B E B E B E E

Reagent

 HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Formic acid E E E S E B E B E E
Gasoline B B S S B S S N E E
Hexane E E N N E E E E E E
Hydrochloric acid 35% E E N N E B E E E E
Hydrofluoric acid E E N N E E E E E E
Hydrogen peroxide E E E E E B E B E E
Kerosene B B B S B S S N E E
Lactic acid E E E B E B E E E E
Methyl alcohol E E B S E E E E E E
Methyl ethyl ketone E E N N E B E B E E
Methyl isobutyl ketone E B N N B S B S E E
Methylene chloride B S N N S N S N E E
Mineral oil E E E B E E B N E E
Nitric acid 1-10% E E E B E E E E E E
Nitric acid 50% B N B S S N B B E E
Nitric acid 65% B N S N S N N N E E
Nitrobenzene S N N N N N N N E E
Perchloric acid B N N N B N B N B S
Petroleum ether S N S N B S S N E E
Phenol B S E N B N B N E E

Reagent

 HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Phosphoric acid 85% E E E B E B E E E E
Potassium bichromate E E E B E B E B E E
Potassium hydroxide conc. E E N N E E E E E E
Potassium permanganate E E E B E B E B E E
Propane S N S N N N N N E E
Propylene glycol S N S N N N N N E E
Silver nitrate E E B S E E E E E E
Sodium hydroxide conc. E B S S E B B S E E
Sodium hypochloride E E N N E E E E E E
Sulfuric acid 20% E E B S E E E E E E
Sulfuric acid 98% E E E B E B E E E E
Tetrahydrofuran E E N N E E E B E E
Thionil chloride B S N N B S S N E E
Toluene N N N N N N N N E E
Trichloroacetic acid B B S N B S S N E E
sim-trichloroethane S N N N N N N N E E
Trichloroethylene S N N N N N N N E E
Turpentine B B S N B S S N E E
Urea E E N N E E E E E E
Xylene B S N N S N B N E E
E = excellent resistance; no etching
B = good resistance; little etching after 30 days exposure to reagent
S = fair resistance; etching after 7 days to exposure to reagent
N = not recommended
Remarks:  The first letter relates to a temperature of 20°C the second to 50°C or the the boiling temperature when this is below 50°C.  The data in this chart was obtained from the various producers of the raw material.  No guarantee of accuracy is implied by BVA Scientific.  For more accurate verification, tests must be made under actual laboratory conditions.

Definitions

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) - LPDE is a most useful and widely used plastic.  It is translucent to opaque, robust enough to be virtually unbreakable and at the same time quite flexibleHigh Density Polyethylene (HDPE) - A linear polymer prepared from ethylene by a catalytic process.  It lends itself particularly well to blow molding, e.g. for bottles and containers.Polypropylene (PP) - PP is a translucent material with excellent mechanical properties and it has gradually replaced the polyethylenes for many purposes.Polystyrene (PS) - A hard rigid, transparent plastic with good dimensional stability.Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) - PFTE shows a remarkable chemical resistance and it is insoluble in all know solvents.

Polycarbonate (PC) - PC is a linear polycarbonic acid ester prepared from a dihydric phenol.

BVA Scientific * 11914 Radium Dr * San Antonio, TX 78216 * 1-800-257-6474


Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and one of our representatives will get back to you shortly.

We accept Visa/MasterCard. For account set-up information and our terms and conditions, click here.

Copyright© 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED