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Chemical Resistances of Common Plastics

When working in a laboratory, it's important to understand the chemical tolerances of the plastics around you. We're surrounded by plastics in the modern world, and for the laboratory, this is doubly true: everything from chairs, to countertops, to bottles, pipets, tubing, trays, etc., are often plastic in composition.

Subject the wrong plastic to the wrong substance, and you could encounter a destroyed container, a ruined sample, and a mess to clean up. In the worst case scenario, the negative reaction could pose a health hazard, as spilled liquids or unknowingly-damaged containers endanger your colleagues.

The below Chemical Resistances of Common Plastics table can serve as a general guide for the plastics around you and their tolerances to different chemicals.

However, avoid treating this guide as a final recommendation: in matters of lab safety, it's imperative to seek the help of licensed professionals. Use this table only as a rough introduction to the potential hazards of plastic and substance incompatibility.

Plastic Acronym Plastic Full Name Acids, dilute or weak Acids, strong & concentrated Alcohols, aliphatic Aldehydes Bases Esters Hydrocarbons, aliphatic Hydrocarbons, aromatic Hydrocarbons, halogenated Ketones Oxidizing agents, strong
ACL Acetal Immediate damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Little to no damage No damage No damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Immediate damage
ECTFE/ETFE Ethylene-Chlorotrifluoroethylene Copolymer No damage Little to no damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage Gradual damage
FEP/TFE/PFA Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage
FLPE Fluorinated High-Density Polyethylene No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage Gradual damage No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage Gradual damage
HDPE High-Density Polyethylene No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Gradual damage
LDPE Low-Density Polyethylene No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Gradual damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Gradual damage
PC Polycarbonate No damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Gradual damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage
PCT Poly (1, 4 Cyclohexylene Dimethylene Terepthalate) No damage Gradual damage No damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Gradual damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Gradual damage Immediate damage
PET Polyethylene Terepthalate No damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage
PMMA Polymethyl Methacrylate (Acrylic) Little to no damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage
PMP Polymethylpentene No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Gradual damage Immediate damage Gradual damage Gradual damage
PP/PPCO Polypropylene (Copolymer) No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Gradual damage
PS Polystyrene No damage Gradual damage No damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage
PSF Polysulfone No damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Gradual damage No damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Little to no damage
PUR Polyurethane Little to no damage Gradual damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Immediate damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage
PVC (Bottles) PVC Bottles No damage No damage No damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Little to no damage
PVC (Tubing) Flexible PVC Tubing No damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Immediate damage Little to no damage Immediate damage Gradual damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Gradual damage
PVDF Polyvinyllidene Fluoride No damage No damage No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Little to no damage
TPE Thermoplastic Elastomer No damage Gradual damage No damage Immediate damage No damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage Immediate damage
XLPE Cross-Linked High-Density Polyethylene No damage No damage No damage Little to no damage No damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Little to no damage Gradual damage Little to no damage Gradual damage

The information above is provided courtesy of Ace Glass, Inc.