Chemical Resistance Chart for Plastics

Scope note: this chart covers chemical resistance of common lab plastics used as containers, tubing, wash bottles, carboys, and general labware — the material question of “what can I safely store or dispense this chemical in.” It is a different decision from selecting wetted materials for process equipment such as pump seals, valve trim, and gasket elastomers, which is covered separately in the chemical compatibility chart for wetted materials of construction. It also does not cover glove selection (see the chemical-resistant glove selection guide) or chemical storage segregation rules. Use this page when you are specifying or purchasing plastic labware; use the wetted-materials chart when you are specifying process equipment.

How to read this chart

Chemical resistance ratings are a starting point for a specification decision, not a guarantee. Whether a plastic holds up against a given chemical depends on the chemical’s concentration, the temperature of contact, the duration of exposure, and the specific resin grade and wall thickness of the part. A rating of “good” at room temperature and typical reagent concentration can fail at elevated temperature or with a concentrated or glacial form of the same chemical. Manufacturers of lab plasticware (for example Thermo Fisher/Nalgene, Cole-Parmer, and VWR) publish their own detailed chemical resistance guides tested under specific conditions — when a decision is safety-critical or involves a chemical not covered here, confirm against the specific product manufacturer’s chart and, where available, the reagent’s safety data sheet (SDS) storage recommendations.

Excellent — the plastic is a standard, widely used choice for this chemical category; negligible attack under normal lab conditions.
Good — generally suitable, but resistance narrows at higher temperature, higher concentration, or long-term storage; check the specific grade before committing to long-term use.
Limited — usable for brief or dilute exposure only (e.g., a quick rinse), not for storage; verify before specifying.
Poor — documented incompatibility (swelling, softening, cracking, dissolution, permeation, or embrittlement) is common; avoid unless the manufacturer explicitly confirms suitability for your exact formulation.

Chemical resistance chart: common lab plastics by chemical category

Chemical category	HDPE / LDPE	Polypropylene (PP)	PTFE / PFA / FEP	PVC	Polycarbonate (PC)	Polystyrene (PS)
Dilute mineral acids (e.g., dilute HCl, dilute H₂SO₄)	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Limited	Limited
Concentrated strong acids (conc. H₂SO₄, conc. HNO₃)	Limited–Good	Limited–Good	Excellent	Limited	Poor	Poor
Hydrofluoric acid (HF), any concentration	Good–Excellent	Good–Excellent	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Poor
Strong bases (NaOH, KOH)	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Poor	Poor
Alcohols (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol)	Good–Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Limited	Poor
Ketones (acetone, MEK)	Limited	Good	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Poor
Chlorinated solvents (chloroform, DCM)	Poor	Poor–Limited	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Poor
Aromatic solvents (toluene, xylene, benzene)	Limited	Limited	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Poor
Strong oxidizers (conc. H₂O₂, chromic acid)	Limited	Limited–Good	Excellent	Limited	Poor	Poor
Esters (ethyl acetate)	Limited	Good	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Poor

General guidance, not a substitute for a manufacturer chart or SDS review. “Limited” and “Poor” cells often still mean brief incidental contact is fine (a quick rinse) while storage or continuous exposure is not — the distinction matters for how you use the container, not just what it’s made of.

Notes on each plastic

HDPE and LDPE (polyethylene)

The default choice for general aqueous reagents, dilute acids and bases, and most alcohols. HDPE is more rigid and slightly more chemical- and temperature-resistant than LDPE; LDPE is more common for squeeze wash bottles. Neither holds up well to aromatic or chlorinated solvents, which can cause swelling and slow permeation over time — a polyethylene bottle can “sweat” volatile organics through the wall even when the cap seal looks intact.

Polypropylene (PP)

Similar acid/base resistance to polyethylene but with a higher usable temperature (PP can typically be autoclaved; most PE cannot), which is why PP is the standard material for autoclavable labware, centrifuge tubes, and pipette tips. Reasonable resistance to many ketones and dilute oxidizers, but not to strong oxidizing acids at high concentration or most chlorinated/aromatic solvents.

PTFE, PFA, and FEP (fluoropolymers)

The broadest chemical resistance of any common lab plastic, including hydrofluoric acid, strong oxidizers, and most organic solvents — this is why HF is stored in fluoropolymer or HDPE/PP containers and never in glass, which HF etches and dissolves. The tradeoff is cost and lower mechanical toughness than HDPE/PP for the same wall thickness, so fluoropolymers are typically reserved for the specific reagents (HF, other highly reactive or high-purity chemicals) that need them, rather than used as a default.

PVC

Adequate for dilute aqueous acids and bases and common in tubing applications, but degraded by many solvents (ketones, chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons) and unsuitable for HF or concentrated oxidizing acids. Rigid PVC and flexible (plasticized) PVC behave differently — plasticizer can leach into some solvents, which is itself a compatibility failure mode distinct from the base resin degrading.

Polycarbonate (PC)

Valued for clarity and impact strength (autoclavable flasks, safety shields, some carboys) but chemically one of the weaker choices on this list — attacked by many solvents, strong bases, and some amines, which can cause crazing or stress cracking even without full dissolution. Do not assume a polycarbonate container is chemically resistant just because it is durable; those are separate properties.

Polystyrene (PS)

Common for disposable, single-use labware (petri dishes, cuvettes, some pipette bodies) exposed to aqueous solutions only. Polystyrene dissolves or softens in a wide range of organic solvents, including many that other plastics on this chart tolerate well, so it should be treated as single-use/aqueous-only rather than a general storage material.

What is HDPE? What is LDPE?

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and LDPE (low-density polyethylene) are two forms of the same polymer family. The U.S. food-contact regulation for olefin polymers describes polyethylene as “basic polymers manufactured by the catalytic polymerization of ethylene” (21 CFR 177.1520). What separates the two is chain structure: Thermo Fisher’s Nalgene material pages state that HDPE “has less side branching than LDPE resulting in a denser 3-D structure,” while LDPE “has more side branching than HDPE resulting in a less-dense 3-D structure.”

Property (Nalgene material pages)	HDPE	LDPE
Structure	Less side branching, denser	More side branching, less dense
Specific gravity	0.95	Lighter than water
Flexibility	Semi-rigid, less flexible than LDPE	Very flexible without added plasticizers
Maximum use temperature	120 °C	80 °C
Autoclavable	No	No
Typical labware	Bottles, carboys, wide-mouth bottles, funnels, buckets	Wash bottles, dropper bottles, sample vials

For chemical resistance at 20 °C, the manufacturer rates HDPE excellent against dilute or weak acids, alkalis and aliphatic alcohols, good against strong acids, aldehydes, esters and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and not recommended for continuous contact with aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons. It also notes that long-term UV exposure can damage HDPE. The two polyethylenes therefore share a column in the chart above; the practical differences are stiffness and heat tolerance, not a different chemical-resistance class. For the wider polyethylene family, see What Is Polyethylene? and Polyolefin vs Polyethylene.

PFA vs PTFE: how the two fluoropolymers differ

PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is a homopolymer of tetrafluoroethylene. PFA (perfluoroalkoxy) is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with a perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether; 21 CFR 177.1550 lists the copolymer of perfluoropropylvinylether and tetrafluoroethylene among the perfluorocarbon resins and addresses the tetrafluoroethylene homopolymer separately in its specifications. Both resist nearly all chemicals in the chart above, so the choice between them rests on how the part is made and used.

Processing. PFA is melt-processable by conventional injection molding and screw extrusion; PTFE is not (Process Technology). This is why molded PFA bottles, fittings and seamless tubing exist, while PTFE parts are formed by other routes.
Heat. Process Technology reports a melting point of about 327 °C for PTFE versus about 260 °C for PFA, and describes PTFE as having slightly higher heat resistance. Nalgene lists PFA labware with a maximum use temperature of 260 °C, defined as exposure for minutes to about two hours with little loss of strength. Vendors define temperature limits differently, so compare datasheets using the same criterion.
Appearance and handling. Nalgene describes PFA labware as translucent and flexible, and states it is autoclavable.
Chemical resistance. Nalgene rates PFA excellent (no damage after 30 days of constant exposure at 20 °C) for most chemical classes, and notes that temperature, exposure time and stress change results. Process Technology describes PFA as resistant to almost all solvents and chemicals and PTFE as having high chemical resistance, without ranking one above the other.

Where the decision concerns lined pipe, valves or seals rather than a container, use the wetted-materials compatibility chart.

Practical selection steps

Identify the exact chemical, its concentration, and the expected temperature and duration of contact — not just the chemical family.
Check the reagent’s SDS (Section 7, Handling and Storage) for any manufacturer-specified container material requirements.
Cross-check the candidate plastic against a manufacturer chemical resistance chart for the specific product line, since resin formulation and wall thickness affect real-world performance.
For anything containing hydrofluoric acid, choose fluoropolymer, HDPE, or PP — never glass.
For long-term storage of solvents (ketones, chlorinated or aromatic hydrocarbons), default to fluoropolymer or verify the specific PP grade rather than assuming general-purpose PP or PE is adequate.
Where the decision concerns process equipment (pumps, valves, seals, tubing runs) rather than a storage container, use the wetted-materials compatibility chart instead, since it also covers elastomers and metals not included here.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best plastic for storing hydrofluoric acid?

Fluoropolymers (PTFE, PFA, FEP) and, for many concentrations, HDPE or PP are the standard choices. Glass must never be used for HF because HF actively etches and dissolves silica-based glass.

Can acetone be stored in a plastic bottle?

Not reliably in PVC, polystyrene, or polycarbonate, which acetone attacks or dissolves. PTFE/PFA/FEP is excellent; polypropylene is generally good for short-to-moderate term storage, but always check the specific container manufacturer’s rating for extended storage.

Is PVC chemically resistant?

PVC has good resistance to dilute aqueous acids, bases, and many salts, which is why it is common in lab tubing and drainage lines, but it is a poor choice for ketones, chlorinated solvents, aromatic solvents, and hydrofluoric acid.

What plastic is compatible with concentrated sulfuric acid?

PTFE/PFA/FEP offers excellent resistance. HDPE and PP have limited-to-good resistance depending on concentration and temperature and are commonly used for moderate concentrations at room temperature; for fuming or very high concentrations, verify against a manufacturer chart before specifying.

Does chemical resistance depend on the container’s wall thickness?

Yes for permeation-driven failures (slow diffusion of a solvent through an intact wall) — a thicker wall slows permeation but does not change whether the resin itself is fundamentally compatible. For attack-driven failures (swelling, cracking, dissolution), wall thickness affects how long the container survives before failing, not whether it is a safe long-term choice.

What is HDPE?

HDPE is high-density polyethylene, a high molecular weight polyolefin with little side branching, so its chains pack densely. In lab plastics it is the rigid polyethylene used for bottles and carboys; Nalgene lists a maximum use temperature of 120 °C and states it is not autoclavable.

What is LDPE?

LDPE is low-density polyethylene, the more branched and more flexible polyethylene, used for wash bottles and dropper bottles. Nalgene lists a maximum use temperature of 80 °C and states it is not autoclavable.

What is the difference between PFA and PTFE?

Both are fluoropolymers with very broad chemical resistance. PFA can be melt-processed by injection molding and extrusion, which allows molded bottles and seamless tubing, while PTFE cannot be melt-processed and has a higher melting point (about 327 °C versus about 260 °C for PFA).

Sources

21 CFR 177.1520, Olefin polymers: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/177.1520 (checked 2026-10-31)
21 CFR 177.1550, Perfluorocarbon resins: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/177.1550 (checked 2026-10-31)
Thermo Fisher Scientific, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Labware: https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/lab-plasticware-supplies/plastic-material-selection/high-density-polyethylene-hdpe-labware.html (checked 2026-10-31)
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Labware: https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/lab-plasticware-supplies/plastic-material-selection/low-density-polyethylene-ldpe-labware.html (checked 2026-10-31)
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Teflon (PFA) Labware: https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/lab-plasticware-supplies/plastic-material-selection/teflon-pfa-labware.html (checked 2026-10-31)
Process Technology, PFA and PTFE: What is the Difference?: https://www.processtechnology.com/pfa-ptfe-whats-the-difference/ (checked 2026-10-31)

Chemical Resistance Chart for Plastics: A Lab Container Selection Guide