Chemical resistance of HDPE type Dowlex 2342 M

In contrast to metals, where exposure to chemicals leads to an irreversible chemical

change in the material, with plastics it is mainly physical processes which adversely affect
their use value. These physical changes include swelling and solution processes, where
the structure of the plastics can change so much that the mechanical properties are also
affected.

The resistance of Dowlex 2342 M to liquid chemicals has been determined according to
DIN ISO 175 and assessed against the following criteria:

! resistant
Swelling < 3 % or elongation at break not substantially changed, no change in appearance.

▼ of limited resistance
Swelling 3 - 8 % and/or elongation at break lower by < 50 % and/or slight change in
appearance

◊ not resistant
Swelling > 8 % and/or elongation at break lower by > 50 % and/or major change in
appearance

In compiling these tables, many years of experience with the practical use of the polyolefine
types have been incorporated. Dowlex 2342 M is resistant to aqueous solutions of salts,
acids and alkalis, provided these are not powerful oxidation agents. They also display a high
degree of resistance to many solvents, such as alcohols, esters and ketones.

On contact with solvents, such as aliphatic compounds, aromatic compounds and

chlorinated hydrocarbons, greater absorption (swelling) can be expected, especially at
higher temperatures. Destruction of the plastics is only observed, however, in very rare
cases (e.g. oxidation attack). The assessments of resistance apply for changes without the
additional action of mechanical forces and for stress-free material.

On request we can also provide information on the resistance of Dowlex 2342 M to gaseous
media.

In many cases it is difficult to establish the precise point where a plastic still retains its use
value after exposure to corrosive media and where it loses it; the boundaries are fluid.

The requested details are as follows:

• Medium type
• Concentration
• Temperature
• Period of exposure

Page 1
 % °C % °C
Con. 20 60 Con. 20 60

A D
Accumulator acid 38 ! ! Decahydronaphthalene 100 ▼ ◊
Acetic acid 100 ! ! Detergents aq. 10 ! !
Acetic acid 50 ! ! Dibutylphthalate 100 ! ▼
Acetic acid 10 ! ! Dibutylsebacate 100 ! ▼
Acetic anhydride 100 ! Diesel oil 100 ! ▼
Acetone 100 ! ! Diethylether 100 !
Alum sat. ! ! Dihexylphthalate 100 ! !
Aluminium salt, aq. sat. ! ! Diisononylphthalate 100 ! !
Ammonia, aq. sat. ! ! Dimethylformamide 100 ! !
Ammonium salts, aq. sat. ! ! Dinonyladipate 100 !
Amyl alcohol 100 ! ! Dioctyladipate 100 !
Aniline 100 ! ! Dioctylphthalate 100 ! !
Anti-freeze glycol 50 ! ! Dioxane, -1.4 100 ! !
Asphalt 100 Dish-washing agents,
! ▼ 5 ! !
liquid

B Dixan solution 5 ! !

Barium salts sat. ! !

E
Benzaldehyde 100 ! ! Ethanol amine 100 ! !
Benzene 100 ▼ ◊ Ethyl hexanol, -2 100 !
Benzoic acid, aq. sat. ! ! Ethyl-2-caproic acid 100 !
Bleaching solution Ethyl-2-caproic acid
30 ▼ ▼ 100 !
(12.5 % active chlorine) chloride
Borax, aq. sat. ! ! Ethyl-2-hexyl chloroformiat 100 !
Boric acid, aq. sat. ! ! Ethylacetate 100 ! ▼
Brake fluid 100 ! ! Ethylalcohol 96 ! !
Bromine 100 ◊ Ethylbenzene 100 ▼ ◊
Bromine water sat. ◊ ◊ Ethylchloride 100 ▼
Butane, liquid 100 ! Ethylene chloride 100 ▼ ▼
Butyl acetate 100 ! ▼ Ethylene chlorohydrin 100 ! !

! !
Ethylene diamine ! !
Butylal alcohol, -n 100 sat.
tetraacetic acid

C Ethylglycolacetate 100 !

Calcium salts, aq. sat. ! !

F
Carbon disulphide 100 ▼ Fatty acids > C6 100 ! ▼
Carbon tetra chloride 100 ▼ ◊ Fixing salt, aq. 10 ! !
Chlorbenzene 100 ▼ ◊ Floor wax 100 ! ▼
Chloride of lime ! ! Fluoride, aq. sat. ! !
Chlorine, liquid 100 ◊ Fluoric acid 70 ! ▼
Chlorine water sat. ▼ ◊ Fluoric acid 40 ! !
Chloroform 100 ▼ ◊ Formaldehyde, aq. 40 ! !
comme-
Chlorosulphonic acid 100 ◊ ◊ ®
Formalin (Formaldehyde) rcial
! !
Chromic acid 20 ! ! Formic acid 98 ! !
Chromic/sulphuric acid conc. ◊ ◊ Formic acid 50 ! !
Chromium salts, aq. sat. ! ! Formic acid 10 ! !
®
Chromiumtrioxide sat. ! ◊ Frigen 11 100 ▼
Cumolhydroperoxide 70 ! Fuel oil 100 ! ▼
Cyclohexane 100 ! ! Furfuryl alcohol 100 ! ▼
Cyclohexanole 100 ! !
Cyclohexanone 100 ! ▼

Resistances Concentrations
!= resistant aq. = aqueous
▼= of limited resistance sat. = saturated at room temperature
◊ =not resistant
Page 2
 % °C % °C
Con. 20 60 Con. 20 60

G M
Glycerine 100 ! ! Magnesium salts, aq. sat. ! !
®
Glycerine, aq. 10 ! ! MARLIPAL MG, aq. 50 ! !
®
Glycol 100 ! ! MARLON , aq. 42 ! !
®
Glycol, aq. 50 ! ! MARLOPHEN 820 100 ! !
®
Glycol acid 70 ! ! MARLOPHEN 810 100 ! !

H MARLOPHEN 83
®

®
100 ! !

Heptane 100 ! ▼ MARLOPHEN 89 100 ! !

Hexafluosilicic acid, aq. sat. ! ! Menthol 100 !
Hexane 100 ! ▼ Mercury 100 ! !
Humic acids, aq. 1 ! ! Mercuric salts, aq. sat. ! !
Hydrazine, aq. sat. ! ! Methane sulphonic acid 50 !
Hydriodic acid, aq. sat. ! Methoxyl butanol 100 ! ▼
Hydrochloric acid 38 ! ! Methoxyl butyl acetate 100 ! ▼
Hydrochloric acid 10 ! ! Methyl alcohol 100 ! !
Hydrofluosilicic acid 32 ! ! Methyl cyclohexane 100 ! ▼
Hydrogen peroxide 30 ! ! Methyl ethyl ketone 100 ! !
Hydrogen peroxide 3 ! ! Methyl glycol 100 ! !
Hydrogen sulphide low ! ! Methyl isobutyl ketone 100 ! ▼
Hydroquinone, aq. ! Methyl sulphuric acid 50 !
Hydroxyacetone 100 ! ! Methyl-4-pentanol-2 100 ! !
Hydroxylammoniumsulphate sat. ! ! Methylacetate 100 ! !

I Methylene chloride 100 ▼

Iodine tincture DAB 6 ! Mineral oil 100 ! ▼
! !
Monochloracetic ! !
Iron salts sat. 100
acid ethyl ester
!
Monochloracetic ! !
Isononane acid chloride 100 100
acid methyl ester
Isononane acid 100 ! ▼ Morpholine 100 ! !
Isooctane 100 ! ▼ Motor oil 100 ! ▼
Isopropylalcohol 100 ! !
N
Na-dodecyl benz.
L sulphon.
100 ! !

Lactic acid, aq. 90 ! ! Nail polish remover 100 ! ▼

Lactic acid, aq. 10 ! ! Neodecane acid 100 !
Lauric acid chloride 100 ! Neodecane acid chloride 100 !
®
LITEX 100 ! ! Nickel salts, aq. sat. ! !
Lithium salts sat. ! ! Nitric acid 50 ▼ ▼
® commer-
Lysol cial
! ▼ Nitric acid 25 ! !
Nitrobenzene 100 ! ▼
Nitrohydrochloric acid: 3:1 ! ◊
HCL:HNO3
Nitromethane 100 !

O
Oleum > 100 ◊ ◊
Oils, vegetable 100 ! !
Oils, etherial !
Oleic acid 100 ! ▼
Oxalic acid, aq. sat. ! !

Resistances Concentrations
!= resistant aq. = aqueous
▼= of limited resistance sat. = saturated at room temperature
◊ =not resistant
Page 3
 % °C % °C
Con. 20 60 Con. 20 60

P T
Paraffin oil 100 ! ▼ Tannic acid 10 ! !
Paraldehyde 100 ! Tar 100 ! ▼
PCB 100 ▼ Tartaric acid, aq. sat. ! !
Pectin sat. ! ! Test fuel, aliphatic 100 ! ▼
Perchlorethylene 100 ▼ ◊ Tetrachlorethane 100 ▼ ◊
Perchloric acid 70 ! ◊ Tetrachlorethylene 100 ▼ ◊
Perchloric acid 50 ! ▼ Tetrahydro naphthalene 100 ! ◊
Perchloric acid 20 ! ! Tetrahydrofuran 100 ▼ ◊
Petrol 100 ! ▼ Thiophene 100 ▼ ▼
Petrol, regular 100 ! ▼ Tin-II-chloride, aq. sat. ! !
Petrol, super 100 ▼ ◊ Toluene 100 ▼ ◊
Petroleum ether 100 ! ▼ Transformer oil 100 ! ▼
Petroleum 100 ! ▼ Trichlorethylene 100 ▼ ◊
Phenol, aq. sat. ! ! Trioctyl phosphate 100 ! ▼
Phenylchloroform 100 ▼ Triortho cresylphosphate 100 ! !
Phosphates, aq. sat. ! ! Two-stroke oil 100 ! ▼
Phosphoric acid 85 ! ▼ U
Phosphoric acid 50 ! ! Urea, aq. sat. ! !
commer-
Photographic ! ! Uric acid sat. ! !
cial
developers ready for
! ! Urine sat. ! !
use

Potash lye 50 ! !
W
Propane, liquid 100 ! Water glass 100 ! !
Pyridine 100 ! ▼ Wetting agent 100 ! ▼

S X
commer-
SAGROTAN
®
cial
! ▼ Xylene 100 ▼ ◊

Salad oil 100 ! !

Z
Salted water sat. ! ! Zinc salts, aq. sat. ! !
Sea water ! !
Shoe polish 100 ! ▼
Silicone oil 100 ! !
Silver salts, aq. sat. ! !
Soap solution sat. ! !
Soap solution 10 ! !
Soda lye 60 ! !
Sodium chlorate, aq. 25 ! !
Sodium chlorite, aq. 5 ! !
Sodium hypochlorite, aq. 30 ▼ ▼
Sodium hypochlorite, aq. 20 ! !
Sodium hypochlorite, aq. 5 ! !
Sodium salts, aq. sat. ! !
Soft soap 100 ! !
Succinic acid sat. ! !
Sulphur dioxide low ! !
Sulphuric acid 96 ◊ ◊
Sulphuric acid 50 ! !
Sulphuric acid 10 ! !

Resistances Concentrations
!= resistant aq. = aqueous
▼= of limited resistance sat. = saturated at room temperature
◊ =not resistant
Page 4