Physical Properties of Plastics and their Resistance to Chemicals

Star Bulletchemical resistance tables below



Physical Properties

  • ABS Acronitrile butadene styrene
  • HDPE High density polyethylene
  • LDPE Low density polyethylene
  • PC Polycarbonate
  • PP Polypropylene
  • PS Polystyrene
  • PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene
  • PVC Polyvinyl chloride
  • TPX/PMP Polymethylpentene
Max.temp (°C) Transparency * Autoclavable Sterilization (a)
Gas Dry Heat Chem.		 Specific
Gravity		 Flexibility Brittleness temp. (°C) Permeability (b)
N2 O2 CO2		 Tensile strength
(Psi)		 Absorption %
HDPE 120 Transluc. With Caution** Yes No Yes 0.95 Rigid -100 3 10 45 4000 0.01
LDPE 80 Transluc. No Yes No Yes 0.92 Excel. -100 20 20 280 2000 0.01
PP 135 Transluc. Yes Yes No Yes 0.90 Rigid 0 4 25 90 5000 0.02
TPX/PMP 175 Clear Yes Yes No Yes 0.83 Rigid - 7 25 - 4000 0.01
PC 135 Clear Yes*** Yes No Yes 1.20 Rigid -135 3 20 85 8000 0.35
PTFE 250 Opaque Yes Yes Yes Yes 1.70 Mod. -100 - - - 6500 0.10
PVC 70 Clear No Yes No Yes 1.34 Rigid -30 0.5 1 10 6500 0.06
ABS 80 Opaque No Yes No Yes 1.05 Rigid -20 2 6 35 7000 0.30
PS 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

E = excellent resistance: no etching
B = Good res. little etching after 30 days exposure to reagent.		 S = Fair resistance, etching after 7 days exposure to reagent
N = not recommended
Remarks: The first letter relates to the temperature of 20°C the second to 50°C or to the boiling temperature when this is below 50°C The data in this chart was obtained from the various producers of the raw materials. No guarantee of accuracy is implied by Proscitech. For more accurate verification, tests must be made under actual laboratory conditions.
KEYS
  • HDPE High density polyethylene
  • LDPE Low density polyethylene
  • PC Polycarbonate
  • PP Polypropylene
  • PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene
  • TPX/PMP Polymethylpentene

Chemical Resistance I

  • HDPE High density polyethylene
  • LDPE Low density polyethylene
  • PC Polycarbonate
  • PP Polypropylene
  • PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene
  • TPX/PMP Polymethylpentene
Reagent (20°C) HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE TPX/PMP
Inorganic acids E B E E E E
Organic acids E B E E E E
Oxidizing agents conc. B N B B E B
Alcohols B B E E E E
Aldehydes B S B B E B
Amines B N B B E B
Bases E N E E E E
Ketones B N B B E B
Ethers B S B B E B
Esters E N E E E E
Glycols E B E E E E
Aliphatic hydrocarbons B S B B E B
Aromatic hydrocarbons B N B B E S
Halogenated hydrocarbons B N B B E S
Mineral oils E E S S E E
Vegetable oils B B B B E B
Lubricating oils E B E B E E

Chemical Resistance II

Reagent HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE TPX/PMP
20°C 50°C 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 B N
Acetic acid 5% E E E B E E E E E E E E
Acetic acid 50% E B E E B S
Acetone E E N N E E E E E E E E
Acetonitrile, pure E E E B E E
Aluminium hydroxide E E S N E B E B E E E B
Ammonium chlodide E E E E E E E E E E E E
Ammonium hydroxide 5% E E S N E E E E E E E E
Ammonium hydroxide 28% E E N N E B E B E E E B
Amyl chloride S N N N N N N N E E N N
Aniline E B S N B S E B E E B S
Banzaldehyde E E S N E B E B E E E B
Benzene B B N N B S S N E E B S
Boric acid E E E E E E E E E E E E
Bromine S N S N N N N N E E N N
Bromoform N N N N N N N N E E N N
Butadiene S N N N N N N N E E N N
Butyl acetate E B N N B S B S E E B S
Butyl Alcohol E E B S E E E B E E E B
Butyric acid S N S N N N N N E E N N
Calcium hydroxide E E N N E E E E E E E E
Calcium hypochloride E E S N E E E E E E E B
Carbon disulphide N N N N N N N N E E S N
Carbon tetrachloride B S N N B S S N E E N N
Reagent HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE TPX/PMP
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Cellosolve E E S N E B E B E E E B
Chlorine in air E S E B B N B N E E B N
Chlorine (moist) B S B S B N B N E E S N
Chloroform B S N N B S S N E E S N
Citric add. E E E E E E E E E E E E
Cresol S N N N B S N N E E N N
Cyclohexane E B E B S S B S E E N N
p-dichlorobenzene B S N N B S S N E E B S
Diethylene glycol E E B S E E E E E E E E
Diethylene formamide E E N N E E E E E E E E
Dioxane B B B S B S B S E E B S
Ethyl acetate E E N N E E E E E E E S
Ethyl alcohol E E E B E B E B E E E B
Ethyl chloride S S N N S N S N E E S N
Ethylene chloride B S N N S N B N E E N N
Ethylene oxide S S S N S S B S E E S N
Ethyl ether N N N N N N S N E E N N
Formaldehyde E E E B E B E B E E E B
Formic acid E E E S E B E B E E E B
Gasoline/Petrol B B S S B S S N E E B S
Hexane E E N N E E E E E E E S
Hydrochloric acid 35% E E N N E B E E E E E B
Hydrofluoric acid E E N N E E E E E E E E
Reagent HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE TPX/PMP
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Hydrogen peroxide E E E E E B E B E E E B
Kerosene B B B S B S S N E E B S
Lactic acid E E E B E B E E E E E B
Methyl alcohol E E B S E E E E E E E S
Methyl ethyl ketone E E N N E B E B E E E S
Methyl isobutyl ketone E B N N B S B S E E S S
Methylene chloride B S N N S N S N E E S N
Mineral oil E E E B E E B N E E E B
Nitric acid 1-10% E E E B E E E E E E E E
Nitric acid 50% B N B S S N B B E E B N
Nitric acid 65% B N S N S N N N E E B N
Nitrobenzene S N N N N N N N E E N N
Perchloric acid B N N N B N B N B S B N
Petroleum ether S N S N B S S N E E B S
Reagent HDPE PC PP LDPE PTFE TPX/PMP
20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C 20°C 50°C
Phenol B S E N B N B N E E S B
Phosphoric acid 85% E E E B E B E E E E E B
Potassium bichromate E E E B E B E B E E E E
Potassium hydroxide conc. E E N N E E E E E E E E
Potassium permanganate E E E B E B E B E E E E
Propane S N S N N N N N E E N N
Propylene glycol S N S N N N N N E E N N
Silver nitrate E E B S E E E E E E E B
Sodium hydroxide conc. E B S S E B B S E E B S
Sodium hypochloride E E N N E E E E E E E E
Sulfuric acid 20% E E B S E E E E E E E E
Sulfuric acid 98% E E E B E B E E E E E B
Tetrahydrofuran E E N N E E E B E E E E
Thionil chloride B S N N B S S N E E S S
Toluene N N N N N N N N E E N N
Trichloroacetic acid B B S N B S S N E E S S
sim-trichloroethane S N N N N N N N E E N N
Trichloroethylene S N N N N N N N E E N N
Turpentine B B S N B S S N E E S S
Urea E E N N E E E E E E E B
Xylene B S N N S N B N E E S N
E = excellent resistance: no etching B = Good res. little etching after 30 days exposure. S = Fair resistance
Etching after 7 days exposure to reagent N = not recommended
Remarks: The first letter relates to a temperature of 20°C the second to 50°C or
to the boiling temperature when this is below 50°C
The data in this chart was obtained from the various producers of the raw materials.
No guarantee of accuracy is implied by Proscitech.
For more accurate verification, tests must be made under actual laboratory conditions.
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