Plastic material samples reviewed for chemical compatibility screening

Plastic material families can be screened for chemical exposure risk, but final compatibility depends on the exact grade and service condition.

Chemical Compatibility Screening

Plastic Chemical Resistance Chart for Material Screening

Use this chart to compare plastic resin families against chemical exposure conditions, then verify the exact commercial grade before final material approval.

Chemical resistance cannot be judged from a polymer family name alone. A useful screening review should consider the chemical or mixture, concentration, service temperature, exposure duration, exposure mode and mechanical stress acting on the molded part.

The chart on this page is intended to narrow the material shortlist and identify where additional supplier data or representative testing is needed. It should not be treated as a universal compatibility certificate for every grade, additive package or production condition.

Screening Boundary

Screening only—not final material approval. Exact compatibility can change with chemical identity, concentration, temperature, contact time, molded-in or assembly stress, reinforcement, additives and the specific commercial resin grade.

If chemical resistance is only one of several material requirements, use the Injection Molding Material Selection Matrix to compare resin families across mechanical, thermal, cosmetic and manufacturing criteria before narrowing the chemical-compatibility review.

Screening Inputs

Chemical Exposure Inputs That Control Plastic Compatibility

A chemical resistance chart is only useful when the exposure condition is defined. Before comparing resin families, record the chemical identity, concentration, temperature, exposure mode, duration and stress state that the molded part is expected to experience.

Input 01

Chemical Identity or Mixture

Identify the actual chemical, cleaner, oil, fuel or process fluid rather than relying on a broad label such as “solvent” or “acid.” Mixed formulations may behave differently from their individual components.

Input 02

Concentration

Record the expected concentration or formulation strength. A diluted cleaning solution and a concentrated chemical cannot be assumed to create the same compatibility risk.

Input 03

Service Temperature

Compatibility should be reviewed at the real exposure temperature. Elevated temperature can increase chemical interaction, diffusion, softening or property loss compared with room-temperature exposure.

Input 04

Exposure Mode

Define whether the part sees wiping, splash, vapor, intermittent contact or immersion. These conditions should not be treated as interchangeable when screening chemical resistance.

Input 05

Duration and Frequency

Record how long each exposure lasts and whether it happens once, repeatedly or continuously. A short cleaning cycle may represent a very different service condition from long-term immersion.

Input 06

Mechanical Stress State

Note whether the molded part is under assembly load, bending, snap-fit strain, fastener load or sustained stress during exposure. Stress can make a material less tolerant of a chemical environment than an unstressed specimen.

Define Exact Exposure Condition
Screen Resin Families
Verify Exact Commercial Grade
Screening Rule

Do not convert these six inputs into a final material approval by themselves. The next chart is used to create a family-level shortlist; exact-grade supplier data and representative testing remain the final verification basis where chemical exposure is critical.

Family-Level Screening

Plastic Chemical Resistance Screening Chart by Resin Family

Use this chart to identify which resin families deserve further review for a defined chemical environment. The categories below are intentionally qualitative: they help create a shortlist without implying that every commercial grade behaves the same way.

Screening only—not final material approval. “Often shortlisted” does not mean universally resistant, and “stress-sensitive” does not mean universally unsuitable. Chemical identity, concentration, temperature, exposure mode, duration, stress and exact commercial grade still govern the final decision.

Stress-Sensitive Review Chemical-Dependent Often Shortlisted Grade / Specialist Verification
Resin Family Family-Level Screening Tendency What to Screen First Main Limitation or Concern Exact-Grade Check
ABS Stress-sensitive review Confirm the exact cleaner, fuel, oil or solvent rather than applying one compatibility assumption to the ABS family. Solvent or cleaner exposure can become more critical around stressed, cosmetic or assembled features. Verify the commercial ABS grade and supplier compatibility data.
Polycarbonate (PC) Stress-sensitive review Review cleaners, alcohol-containing formulations, solvents and other chemicals contacting loaded or transparent surfaces. Environmental stress cracking or crazing may appear under combined chemical and mechanical stress. Use exact PC grade data under representative exposure conditions.
PC / ABS Grade dependent Review the actual blend grade, chemical formulation and whether the exposed surface is cosmetic or mechanically loaded. Do not inherit a compatibility assumption from either PC or ABS alone. Supplier data for the exact commercial blend takes priority.
PA6 / PA66 Chemical-dependent Review the target fluid, acid or base condition, service temperature and whether the grade is reinforced or conditioned. Chemical exposure and service moisture can change dimensions or retained mechanical properties. Confirm exact PA chemistry, reinforcement and supplier exposure guidance.
PBT / PET Chemical-dependent Check the exact fluid, concentration and temperature, especially where long-term exposure or elevated temperature is expected. Chemical and thermal conditions may affect long-term property retention. Verify the exact polyester grade and supplier chemical-resistance data.
POM (Acetal) Often shortlisted Commonly considered where oils, fuels or lubricated mechanical environments are present, but the exact chemical still must be identified. Strong acids, oxidizing environments and unsupported broad chemical assumptions require additional review. Confirm homopolymer or copolymer grade and supplier compatibility data.
PP / PE Often shortlisted Often considered for many aqueous chemical environments where stiffness, temperature and loading requirements remain moderate. Service temperature, sustained load, permeation and the exact chemical can become limiting. Review filled, modified and recycled grades separately.
PMMA Stress-sensitive review Review cleaners, solvents and repeated wipe exposure where optical appearance must remain stable. Crazing, haze or surface change can become critical on stressed transparent components. Optical-grade supplier guidance should govern.
TPU / TPE Grade / chemistry dependent Identify the elastomer chemistry, hardness, target oil or fluid and expected exposure duration. Swelling, softening or retained-property changes may vary substantially between elastomer grades. Do not generalize one result across all TPU or TPE chemistries.
PPS Often shortlisted Commonly considered where chemical exposure, elevated temperature and dimensional stability are important together. Compound formulation, filler package, service temperature and stress still affect suitability. Verify the exact PPS compound rather than the polymer family alone.
PEEK Often shortlisted Commonly considered for demanding chemical and temperature environments when higher material performance is required. Exact medium, temperature, exposure duration, load and commercial grade remain application specific. Use manufacturer data for the exact PEEK grade.
Fluoropolymers Specialist verification Often considered for severe chemical exposure, but the exact fluoropolymer family and service requirement must be defined. Mechanical strength, creep, temperature, processing route and dimensional requirements may control the final design. Verify the exact fluoropolymer type and manufacturer grade.
Screening Data Boundary

This table intentionally avoids universal “Excellent / Good / Poor” ratings because those labels are incomplete without a defined chemical, concentration, temperature, duration, exposure mode, specimen condition and stress state. Use the family-level tendencies above to create a shortlist, then verify the exact commercial grade using current supplier data and, where the application risk justifies it, representative exposure testing.

Exposure Mode

Why Wipe, Splash, Vapor and Immersion Are Not Equivalent

The same chemical can produce a different compatibility result depending on how it contacts the molded part. A short cleaning wipe should not be interpreted as equivalent to repeated splash exposure, continuous vapor contact or long-term liquid immersion.

Exposure 01

Wipe Cleaning

Short contact during maintenance or cleaning may be followed by rapid evaporation or drying. Screening should still consider repeated cycles and whether the surface is cosmetic, transparent or mechanically stressed.

Exposure 02

Splash or Intermittent Contact

Repeated wetting and drying can create a different service condition from a single wipe. Record contact frequency, drainage and whether residue remains on the part between exposure cycles.

Exposure 03

Vapor Exposure

A component may be exposed to volatile chemical vapor even without direct liquid contact. Vapor compatibility should therefore be verified against the actual chemical, enclosure condition and exposure duration.

Exposure 04

Continuous Immersion

Long-duration liquid contact can make absorption, swelling, mass change and retained properties more important. Immersion evidence should not be inferred from short-contact data alone.

Same Chemical Different Contact Mode
Screening Result May Require Different Verification
Interpretation Boundary

Exposure mode is only one part of the compatibility condition. Temperature, concentration and contact duration can materially change the result and are reviewed separately in the next section. Do not treat these four modes as a universal severity ranking.

Exposure Severity

How Temperature, Concentration and Exposure Duration Change Chemical Resistance

A compatibility result should be interpreted against the actual service condition. The same resin and chemical combination can behave differently when temperature, concentration or contact duration changes.

Variable 01

Service Temperature

Chemical compatibility data collected near room temperature should not automatically be applied to a hot cleaning cycle or elevated-temperature service condition. Higher temperature can increase chemical interaction, diffusion, softening or property loss in some resin systems.

Variable 02

Chemical Concentration

A resin response measured in a diluted solution may not represent the same material in a more concentrated formulation. Record the actual concentration, mixture or product formulation instead of relying only on a broad chemical-family name.

Variable 03

Exposure Duration and Frequency

Short contact, repeated cleaning cycles and continuous long-term exposure are different conditions. Screening should consider both the duration of each event and whether the exposure occurs once, periodically or throughout the service life.

Chemical Exact Identity + Concentration
Environment Actual Service Temperature
Time Duration + Exposure Frequency
Interpretation Rule

Do not assume that chemical compatibility changes in a simple linear way as temperature, concentration or time increases. Use data that matches the intended service condition as closely as possible. If the available supplier data covers only a milder condition, additional verification may be required before material approval.

Plastic molded samples inspected for chemical stress cracking under representative exposure conditions

Chemical compatibility can change when molded parts are exposed while carrying residual or assembly stress.

Stress Interaction

How Molded-In Stress Changes Chemical Resistance and ESCR Risk

A resin can appear compatible in an unstressed screening sample yet behave differently when the molded part is simultaneously exposed to a chemical and mechanical stress. This interaction is central to environmental stress cracking risk.

Residual stress from molding and sustained stress from assembly can change how a plastic responds to cleaners, solvents, fuels or other service fluids. The critical question is therefore not only whether the polymer resists the chemical, but whether the actual molded feature remains stable while stressed during exposure.

Snap fits, press fits, screw bosses, transparent housings and other continuously loaded features deserve additional review when chemical contact is expected. An unstressed coupon should not automatically be treated as evidence for the same material under representative assembly load.

Risk Driver 01

Molded-In Residual Stress

Residual stress can remain in a molded part even before assembly. Where chemical exposure is critical, the material should be evaluated in a condition that represents the actual molded component rather than only an ideal laboratory coupon.

Risk Driver 02

Assembly and Sustained Load

Snap-fit deflection, press-fit interference, fastener load and sustained bending can increase local stress during exposure. A material that appears stable when unloaded may require additional verification when the feature remains continuously loaded.

Risk Driver 03

Chemical + Stress Interaction

Environmental stress cracking is an interaction problem: chemical environment and stress state must be considered together. One factor alone does not establish whether the final molded part will remain acceptable.

Material Exact Commercial Grade
Environment Defined Chemical Exposure
Stress Representative Molded / Assembly Load
Transparent-Part Handoff

For transparent PC or PMMA parts where cleaner exposure, solvent contact, optical appearance and stress cracking are dominant concerns, continue to the Clear Plastic Material Selection guide for a focused PC/PMMA review.

Diagnosis Boundary

Cracking after chemical exposure does not by itself prove environmental stress cracking. Final confirmation should compare the exact resin grade, chemical condition, stress state and representative test evidence. Test-method selection and exact-grade validation are covered in the next section.

Exact-Grade Verification

How to Verify Chemical Resistance Before Final Material Approval

A family-level chart can create a useful shortlist, but final approval should move to the exact commercial resin grade and representative service condition. The verification evidence should match the application closely enough to support the intended chemical exposure.

Verification 01

Confirm the Exact Commercial Grade

Record the manufacturer, grade designation, reinforcement, filler and relevant formulation details. Do not approve a chemically exposed part using only a broad label such as PC, Nylon, POM, PPS or PEEK.

Verification 02

Review Current Supplier Data

Compare the target chemical or mixture against current supplier compatibility information where available. Check whether the published condition matches the required concentration, temperature, duration and exposure method.

Verification 03

Test the Representative Exposure

Where supplier data does not adequately represent the application, use a defined exposure test with the actual or representative fluid, temperature, contact mode and duration. Include representative stress when the molded part remains loaded in service.

Verification 04

Define Acceptance Criteria

Decide which changes matter before testing begins. Depending on the application, review appearance, mass, dimensions and retained mechanical properties rather than relying on a simple pass/fail visual check.

Screen Resin Family
Verify Exact Grade + Supplier Data
Validate Representative Exposure Evidence
Test-Method Context

Standards such as ASTM D543 or ISO 175 can provide structured frameworks for evaluating chemical exposure, but the selected method must still match the application. Immersion evidence should not automatically be treated as environmental stress cracking evidence, and a short laboratory exposure should not be presented as proof of long-term service life.

Approval Boundary

This page does not claim that its family-level screening table was generated under ASTM, ISO or another standardized test method. Only cite a standard as the data basis when the referenced material data or test was actually produced under that defined method and condition.

Scope Boundary

What This Chemical Resistance Chart Cannot Decide

This page is designed for chemical compatibility screening. It can help narrow a resin-family shortlist, but it should not be used as a substitute for exact-grade approval, complete material selection or manufacturing-process validation.

Boundary 01

It Cannot Approve an Exact Commercial Grade

Family-level screening does not establish compatibility for a specific supplier grade, filler system, additive package or color formulation. Final approval requires grade-specific evidence.

Boundary 02

It Cannot Select the Best Resin Overall

Chemical resistance is only one material requirement. Mechanical strength, temperature capability, stiffness, wear, cosmetics, cost and molding feasibility may change the final resin choice.

Boundary 03

It Cannot Define Mold or Process Design

A compatibility chart does not determine gate design, venting, wall thickness, packing strategy, mold temperature or complete DFM requirements. Those decisions need their own molding and tooling review.

Boundary 04

It Cannot Replace Service Validation

A general chart cannot prove long-term performance in the final assembly. Critical applications may still require representative chemical exposure, stress and property-retention evidence before release.

Boundary Summary

If the decision depends equally on strength, heat resistance, wear, cosmetics, cost or molding feasibility, chemical compatibility should be treated as only one input in the broader material selection process.

High-Performance Resin Handoff

When aggressive chemicals, elevated temperature and sustained mechanical demand occur together, continue to the High-Performance Engineering Plastics guide for PPS, PEEK, PEI, LCP and related material families.

Page Ownership

The owner question for this page remains: How should plastic resin families be screened for a defined chemical exposure before exact-grade approval? Final material selection, mold design, dimensional capability and production validation remain separate engineering tasks.

Chemical Resistance FAQ

Plastic Chemical Resistance Chart FAQ

These questions clarify the main limits of family-level chemical resistance data and when exact exposure conditions or grade-specific evidence must take priority.

FAQ 01

What information is needed before using a plastic chemical resistance chart?

Define the chemical or mixture, concentration, service temperature, exposure mode, duration and stress condition. Without these inputs, a compatibility rating has limited value because the actual service environment has not been defined.

FAQ 02

Can chemical resistance change with concentration and temperature?

Yes. Data from a diluted solution or room-temperature test should not automatically be applied to a concentrated formulation or higher-temperature service. The closer the reference condition is to the real application, the more useful the screening result becomes.

FAQ 03

Is short-term splash resistance the same as long-term immersion resistance?

No. A resin that tolerates a wipe or intermittent splash may behave differently during continuous vapor exposure or long-term immersion. Exposure mode and contact duration should therefore match the intended service condition as closely as possible.

FAQ 04

Can a resin-family chemical resistance chart approve a specific commercial grade?

No. Family-level data is a screening reference. Exact grade, reinforcement, additives, supplier compatibility data and representative exposure evidence may change the final decision. Grade-specific evidence takes priority over broad resin-family guidance.

Chemical Compatibility Review

Need a Chemical Compatibility Review Before Material Approval?

Send the exact resin grade if known together with the real chemical exposure condition. We can help identify whether the available compatibility evidence is sufficient for screening or whether exact-grade supplier data or further validation should be reviewed before approval.

What to Send

Chemical name, mixture or SDS
Concentration or formulation strength
Service and exposure temperature
Wipe, splash, vapor or immersion
Exposure duration and frequency
Mechanical or assembly stress condition
Exact commercial resin grade, if available
Supplier compatibility data, if available

You can send incomplete exposure data first. Missing variables can be identified before the material decision is treated as production-ready.

Request a Chemical Compatibility Review

Scope: this review focuses on resin chemical compatibility and material-conditioning evidence. Broader mold design, complete DFM, tooling and dimensional validation can be reviewed separately when required.