Plastics Chemical Compatibility Guide

Look up chemical compatibility ratings for 17 engineering plastics & fluoroplastics — including HDPE, LDPE, PP, PC, PETG, PMP, POM, PS, PSU, rigid & flexible PVC, SAN, ECTFE/ETFE, FEP, PTFE (Teflon), and PVDF (Kynar) — against hundreds of chemicals, fluids, and compounds.

Ratings range from 1 (Satisfactory) to 4 (Unsatisfactory); x indicates insufficient data. See the legend at left for the full scale. Search by compound name to filter the table. Hover over a column header to see the full plastic name. Ratings are for ambient temperature — verify against material specifications before use.

PLASTICS CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY
17 plastics & fluoroplastics · ambient temperature ratings
Selected Fluids 0 selected
Check compounds in the table below to add them here.
Thermoplastics Fluoroplastics
Rating Key & Material Reference

The following tables reproduce the legend and material descriptions from the source document (Bürkle GmbH, Version 3.2). The source data contains two ratings per substance — left value at +20 °C and right value at +50 °C. This page displays the +20 °C (ambient) value only.

RatingMeaning
1Resistant
2Practically resistant
3Partially resistant
4Not resistant
KNo general information available
LDanger of pitting or stress-cracking corrosion
( )Estimated value
0 / XNo data available
SymbolEU Hazard Classification
EExplosive
OOxidizing
FHighly flammable
F+Extremely flammable
TToxic
T+Very toxic
CCorrosive
XnHarmful
XiIrritant
NDangerous for the environment

Hazard symbols appear in the Notes / Source column and reflect EU CLP classifications from the original data file.

Abbreviation Full Material Name Type
HDPEPolyethylene, high densityThermoplastic
LDPEPolyethylene, low densityThermoplastic
PAPolyamide (Nylon)Thermoplastic
PCPolycarbonateThermoplastic
PETGPolyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET copolymer)Thermoplastic
PMPPolymethylpentene (TPX)Thermoplastic
POMPolyoxymethylene / polyacetal (Acetal, Delrin)Thermoplastic
PPPolypropyleneThermoplastic
PSPolystyreneThermoplastic
PSUPolysulfoneThermoplastic
PVC-HPolyvinyl chloride, rigid (hard)Thermoplastic
PVC-SPolyvinyl chloride, soft (flexible)Thermoplastic
SANStyrene-acrylonitrileThermoplastic
ECTFE / ETFEEthylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (Halar) / Ethylene-tetrafluoroethyleneFluoroplastic
FEPTetrafluoroethylene-perfluoropropylene (Teflon FEP)Fluoroplastic
PTFEPolytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)Fluoroplastic
PVDFPolyvinylidene fluoride (Kynar)Fluoroplastic

The source document also includes ratings for EPDM, FPM/FKM, NBR, SI (elastomers) and Al, V2A, V4A, Hastelloy C (metals), which are not shown in this table.

References & Important Notices
  • Source: Bürkle GmbH, Chemical resistance of plastics, Version 3.2 (26 January 2015). Table made available via Kendrion Kuhnke Automation GmbH layout adaptation. Publisher: Bürkle GmbH, Rheinauen 5, D-79415 Bad Bellingen, Germany. www.buerkle.de
  • Laboratory data only. The values in this table are based solely on laboratory tests with raw materials. Plastic components produced from these raw materials are frequently subject to influences that cannot be recognized in laboratory tests (temperature, pressure, material stress, effects of chemicals, construction features, etc.). The values given are guidelines only. In critical cases it is essential that a test is carried out first.
  • No liability. No legal claims can be derived from this information. Neither Bürkle GmbH nor Kendrion Kuhnke Automation GmbH accepts any liability for the values presented. A knowledge of chemical and mechanical resistance alone is not sufficient for the evaluation of the usability of a product. Regulations concerning flammable liquids (explosion prevention) must also be taken into consideration.
  • Copyright notice (reproduced per source document). This table has been published and updated by Bürkle GmbH, D-79415 Bad Bellingen as a work of reference. The copyright clause must not be removed. The table may be freely passed on and copied, provided that the information about the publisher is retained.
  • No affiliation or endorsement. Bürkle GmbH and Kendrion Kuhnke Automation GmbH have not participated in the development of this lookup tool and do not approve or endorse it. Verify all ratings against the current published version of the source table before use in design.

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