The Best Chemically Resistant Plastics

It’s essential to manufacture components with adequate chemical resistance properties if the material will be exposed to harsh chemicals for any period of time. Plastics can be susceptible to reactions that compromise the component’s lifespan or cause premature failure, such as:

Chemical Attack
Physical Absorption
Environmental Stress Cracking

In your critical components, you must ensure the use of a chemically resistant plastic suited for the environment and potential exposure for proper performance. With over 50 years of experience in plastics machining, our team of expert engineers offers hands-on expertise to produce high-quality components to specifications using a variety of chemically resistant plastics. Contact Upland Fab to speak with a representative and explore options for your project.

Chemically Resistant Plastic Material Considerations

Chemical exposure can affect the strength, flexibility, color, surface appearance, dimensions, and weight of plastics depending on the material resistance. Based on the application’s requirements, any changes caused by chemicals to the appearance or structure of a material may disqualify it for use. Factors that may affect the viability of a plastic material include:

Operating Temperature
Exposure Time
Internal and External Stress
Chemical Concentration

What are the Most Chemically Resistant Plastics for My Application?

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a low-cost polymer resistant to stress cracking and chemical damage. It effectively resists alcohol, bases, and diluted acids while demonstrating good resistance against hydrocarbons, aldehydes, esters, and ketones. With a low melting point, this plastic material can easily form in injection molding applications. It is commonly used in automotive strips and panels, medical equipment, industrial tanks and pipes, consumer goods, fibers, and fabrics.

PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) – Teflon®

Also known as Teflon®, PTFE is a fluoropolymer with excellent chemical resistance characteristics. PTFE offers one of the highest chemical resistance ratings, which can only be chemically damaged by organic halogenated compounds, such as oxygen difluoride or chlorine trifluoride. It features a low coefficient of friction and can withstand extremely low temperatures, making it a choice material for medical implants, automotive parts, chemical industrial equipment, engineering surfaces and containers, and electrical applications.

PEEK (Polyetheretherketone)

A semi-crystalline thermoplastic, PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance rigid plastic material. It is resistant to harsh chemicals, high temperatures, wear, and fatigue despite being an older product introduced in the 1980s. PEEK is commonly used in electronics, healthcare equipment, aerospace engine and exterior components, and packaging materials.

PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride)

PVDF, or polyvinylidene fluoride, is another semi-crystalline thermoplastic featuring high chemical resistance. It can withstand organic acids, aromatics, alcohols, and halogenated solvents but cannot resist strong bases or ketones. This material provides additional benefits, as it is non-flammable and UV resistant. PVDF is often used for industrial gaskets and seals, electrical wires and cables, electronics, filtration equipment, and tubing.

PVC (Polyvinyl Fluoride)

Strong and stiff but easy to fabricate and bond with adhesives, polyvinyl fluoride is an inexpensive plastic material. It offers good machineability and can withstand alcohols, inorganic acids, alkalis, and salts, as well as oxidizing agents and hydrogen peroxide. PVC is highly favored for large-scale projects, chemical tanks, manifolds, and piping systems.

HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

HDPE, also known as high-density polyethylene, is a thermoplastic that offers corrosion resistance and low-moisture absorption, which increases its chemical resistance. This material is highly rigid and offers durability despite being lightweight and easy to fabricate. High-density polyethylene demonstrates resistance against acids, bases, alcohols, and chemicals used in spray paint. It is typically used in public infrastructure, linings for chutes and bins, outdoor storage and furniture, pipe flanges, and light-duty tanks.

Acetal

Demonstrating resistance to a wide range of chemicals, Acetal can also withstand various solvents but features a lower resistance to acids. It is a high-strength, low-friction engineering plastic with rigidity, enhanced dimensional stability, and good wear characteristics. Acetal is an easy-to-machine plastic material that absorbs very little moisture, making it an ideal material for machining tight tolerances.

UHMW (Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene)

Ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene, or UHMW, is an extremely tough plastic that can withstand abrasion and impact. This material is versatile and cost-effective, with self-lubricating properties and a lower coefficient of friction than Acetal. It can also demonstrate resistance to hydrolysis, UV radiation, and micro-organisms while chemically resistant to concentrated acids, alkalis, and organic solvents, with traits favorable for high-wear applications.

PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide)

With a greater chemical resistance than PEEK, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) also features a slightly lower operating temperature. PPS has a balance of good traits for various industrial processes, including inherent flame retardancy, exceptional dimensional stability and electrical properties, and very low moisture absorption.

PAI (Polyamide-imide) – Torlon®

More commonly known as Torlon®, polyamide-imide offers exceptional chemical resistance properties, demonstrating resistance to nearly all chemicals aside from select acids. This material performs well under stress conditions at temperatures up to 500ºF, offering electrical properties, high resistance to wear and creep, exceptional radiation resistance, dimensional stability, and a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion for high-heat, high-tolerance applications.

ECTFE (Ethylene Chlorotrifluoroethylene) – Halar®

Halar®, also known as ECTFE or ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene, is the most chemically resistant plastic. It can withstand the harshest chemicals, acids, and solvents, including sulphuric acid, without losing any of its mechanical properties. Only hot amines and ketones can affect Halar® components. Halar® offers good wear resistance, excellent mechanical properties, and impact strength in temperatures ranging from -104ºF to 302ºF, with high resistance to radiation.

Contact Upland Fab for High-Quality, Chemical-Resistant Plastics Machining

Finding the right chemically resistant plastic for your project depends on your application’s unique requirements. Upland Fab has earned a reputation for high quality and reliability, providing advanced machining and production that matches specifications and ensures no detail is missed. Since 1970, Upland Fab has produced challenging components for a diverse number of industries.