Engineering Plastics Material Guide

Chemical Resistance Guide

Not sure which engineering plastic to consider for a chemical environment? Select the chemical below and we'll help narrow down the materials worth investigating first.

Find a Plastic for Your Chemical

Start with the chemical. If you know the concentration, temperature or type of exposure, add those details to help provide a more useful material-selection starting point.

This guide helps narrow down materials to investigate. It does not approve or guarantee a finished application.

Your Starting Options

Before ordering: Chemical resistance can change with concentration, temperature, exposure time and mechanical load. This guide helps narrow down materials worth considering, but does not guarantee suitability for a finished application.

Need help confirming your choice?

Send us the chemical, concentration, temperature, exposure and what you're making. We can help narrow down the materials worth investigating.

Ask Warlond Plastics
What does “Check conditions” mean?

“Check conditions” does not mean the material is unsuitable. It means the chemical name alone does not provide enough information for a reliable material choice.

The result may change depending on the chemical concentration, operating temperature, exposure time and whether the finished component is under mechanical load or stress.

If you know the concentration, temperature and exposure, enter them into the Chemical Resistance Guide above. For demanding or critical applications, additional compatibility verification may still be required before selecting the material.

Why do concentration, temperature and exposure matter?

Chemical resistance cannot reliably be determined from the chemical name alone.

Concentration: A dilute solution can behave differently from a concentrated solution of the same chemical.

Temperature: Chemical resistance may change as operating temperature increases.

Exposure: An occasional splash is different from repeated contact or continuous immersion.

Mechanical stress: Components under load or containing machining stress can behave differently from unstressed material.

How do the different plastic families generally compare?

Every engineering plastic has different strengths. These descriptions are broad material-selection guidance only.

PTFE One of the first materials worth investigating where very broad chemical resistance is the main requirement.
PEEK Broad chemical resistance combined with high mechanical and temperature performance. Strong concentrated acids require particular verification.
HDPE Good broad resistance to many aqueous chemicals, acids, alkalis, salts and oils. Some solvents and oxidising environments require greater care.
Polypropylene Broad resistance to many acids and alkalis and often a practical starting material for chemical service.
PVC Good resistance to many inorganic chemicals, including many acids and alkalis. Organic solvents require careful checking.
Acetal / POM-C Useful resistance to many oils, fuels and alcohols with good dimensional stability. Acids require particular caution.
Nylon 6 Particularly useful around oils and many lubricants, but acids and moisture absorption need to be considered carefully.
Acrylic / PMMA Useful in many mild chemical environments, but several organic solvents can cause crazing, softening or permanent surface damage.
Polycarbonate Excellent impact performance, but chemical resistance can be more limited than HDPE, PP or PTFE. Stress cracking can be important.
ABS Useful general-purpose engineering plastic with important limitations against aggressive organic solvents.
View Technical Chemical Resistance Comparison

This table is intended as a broad preliminary screening guide. Where a result can depend heavily on concentration, temperature or exposure, we use “Check conditions” rather than presenting one fixed rating.

Chemical HDPE PP PVC PTFE PEEK Acetal Nylon 6 Acrylic Polycarbonate ABS
Hydrochloric Acid A A A A A D D Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions
Sulphuric Acid Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions A Check conditions D D Check conditions Check conditions D
Phosphoric Acid A A A A A Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions
Sodium Hydroxide / Caustic Soda A A A A A B B Check conditions D Check conditions
Bleach / Sodium Hypochlorite Check conditions Check conditions A A Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions
Ethanol / IPA A A A A A A A Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions
Acetone Check conditions Check conditions D A A Check conditions Check conditions D D D
Toluene / Xylene Check conditions Check conditions D A A Check conditions Check conditions D D D
Mineral / Lubricating Oil A Check conditions A A A A A Check conditions Check conditions Check conditions
Water / Salt Water A A A A A A B A A A

A = strong general starting material · B = generally good · C = limited / investigate carefully · D = generally poor · Check conditions = concentration, temperature and exposure should be reviewed before making a material choice.

What information should I provide when asking for help?

To help narrow down a chemical-resistance enquiry, provide as much of the following information as possible:

Chemical name · concentration · operating temperature · exposure type · and what the finished component needs to do.

If the component will be under significant pressure, load or mechanical stress, include that information as well.