Chemical Resistance Charts
In short: this chart rates 12 common gasket materials against 150+ chemicals. PTFE and graphite resist almost everything listed; rubbers vary widely, so always check the specific chemical, its concentration and temperature. Ratings are a general guide for first-pass selection — confirm critical applications with our team. See also our chemical compatibility guide, or tell us what you’re sealing against.
Rating key
- A — Recommended: little or no effect
- B — Minor to moderate effect: use with caution / fair
- X — Not recommended: unsuitable
- S — Suitable
- – — No data / not tested
Material abbreviations Nat = Natural Rubber · Sbr = SBR · Neo = Neoprene · Nit = Nitrile (NBR) · Epd = EPDM · But = Butyl · Hyp = Hypalon (CSM) · Vit = Viton (FKM) · Sil = Silicone · Ptf = PTFE · Naf = Non-Asbestos Fibre · Grf = Graphite
Acetaldehyde to Calcium Hypochlorite
| Nat | Sbr | Neo | Nit | Epd | But | Hyp | Vit | Sil | Ptf | Naf | Grf | |
| Acetaldehyde | B | X | B | X | A | A | B | X | A | A | S | A |
| Acetic Acid 10% | B | B | A | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | A |
| Acetic Acid 100% | B | X | B | X | B | B | B | X | B | A | S | A |
| Acetone | B | B | B | X | A | A | B | X | B | A | B | A |
| Acetylene | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | B | A | S | A |
| Alum | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Aluminium Chloride | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | B | A | S | A |
| Ammonia Gas Cold | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | X | A | B | S | A |
| Amyl Acetate | B | X | A | X | X | B | X | X | X | A | B | A |
| Aniline | X | X | X | X | X | A | B | A | X | A | X | A |
| Asphalt | X | X | B | B | X | X | X | A | X | A | S | A |
| Aviation Fuel | X | X | B | A | X | X | X | A | X | A | S | A |
| Benzene | X | X | X | B | B | X | X | A | X | B | S | A |
| Benzyl Chloride | X | X | X | X | X | X | B | A | X | – | S | A |
| Borax | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A |
| Boric acid | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | – | A | A |
| Butane | X | X | B | A | X | X | A | A | S | A | S | A |
| Butyl Acetate | X | X | X | X | X | B | X | B | X | A | B | A |
| Butyl Alcohol | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | A | S | A |
| Calcium Hydroxide | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | B | A | A | A | A |
| Calcium Hypochlorite | A | X | B | B | A | A | A | A | B | A | S | B |
Calcium Sulphate to Ethylene Chloride
| Nat | Sbr | Neo | Nit | Epd | But | Hyp | Vit | Sil | Ptf | Naf | Grf | |
| Calcium Sulphate | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | – | A | A | A |
| Carbolic Acid | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | X | A | X | A |
| Carbon Dioxide | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | B | A | A | A |
| Carbon Disulphide | X | X | X | B | B | X | X | A | – | A | S | A |
| Carbon Tetrachloride | X | X | X | B | X | X | X | A | X | A | B | A |
| Chlorine (Dry) | X | X | B | B | X | B | X | B | X | A | S | B |
| Chlorine (Wet) | X | X | X | B | X | B | X | X | – | B | B | B |
| Chloroform | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | A | X | A | B | A |
| Chromic Acid | X | X | X | X | B | B | A | B | B | A | X | X |
| Citric Acid | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Creosote | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | A | B | A |
| Cresol | X | X | X | X | X | B | X | A | X | A | B | A |
| Cyclohexanol | X | X | A | B | X | X | B | A | X | A | A | A |
| Cyclohexanone | X | X | X | X | B | B | X | X | X | A | X | A |
| Decalin | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | A | X | A | A | A |
| Di-Benzyl Ether | X | X | X | X | X | B | X | B | – | A | X | A |
| Diesel Oil | X | X | B | A | X | X | X | A | X | A | S | A |
| Dimethyl Formamide | X | X | X | A | B | B | X | X | B | A | X | A |
| Ethyl Acetate | B | B | X | B | B | A | X | X | B | A | S | A |
| Ethyl Alcohol | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A |
| Ethyl Chloride | B | B | B | B | X | B | B | A | X | A | B | A |
| Ethylene Chloride | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | A | X | A |
Ethylene Glycol to Malic Acid
| Nat | Sbr | Neo | Nit | Epd | But | Hyp | Vit | Sil | Ptf | Naf | Grf | |
| Ethylene Glycol | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Ethyl Ether | X | X | X | B | X | B | X | X | X | A | S | A |
| Formaldehyde | A | A | B | A | B | A | A | A | B | A | S | A |
| Formamide | A | A | A | A | – | – | – | X | – | A | B | A |
| Formic Acid (10%) | A | A | A | B | B | A | A | X | B | A | A | A |
| Glycerine | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Heating Oil | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | A | S | A |
| Heptane | X | X | B | A | X | X | A | A | X | A | A | A |
| Hydraulic Oil | X | X | A | A | X | X | A | A | S | A | S | A |
| Hydrochloric Cold 20% | A | B | A | B | A | A | A | A | B | A | B | A |
| Hydrochloric Cold 37% | A | B | A | B | B | B | A | A | B | A | X | A |
| Hydrofluoric Acid | X | X | B | X | B | B | A | A | X | A | X | A |
| Hydrogen | B | B | A | B | B | A | A | A | B | A | S | A |
| Hydrogen Peroxide 6% | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | A | A |
| Iso-Octane | X | X | A | X | X | X | A | X | X | A | A | A |
| Isopropyl Alcohol | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Kerosene / Paraffin | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | A | A | A |
| Lactic Acid | B | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Linseed Oil | X | X | B | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Liquid Petroleum Gas | X | X | A | A | – | X | X | X | B | – | A | A |
| Lubricating Oil | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | A | S | A |
| Malic Acid | A | A | A | A | X | B | X | X | B | A | A | A |
Methane to Potassium Carbonate
| Nat | Sbr | Neo | Nit | Epd | But | Hyp | Vit | Sil | Ptf | Naf | Grf | |
| Methane | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | – | S | A |
| Methyl Alcohol | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A |
| Methyl Chloride | X | X | X | X | B | B | X | B | X | A | B | A |
| Methylene Chloride | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | B | X | A | X | A |
| Methyl Ethyl Ketone | X | X | X | X | A | B | X | X | X | A | B | A |
| Motor Oil | X | X | A | A | X | X | X | A | B | A | S | A |
| Naphtha | X | X | X | B | X | B | B | A | X | A | S | A |
| Natural Gas | B | B | A | A | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Nitric Acid Dilute | X | X | B | X | B | A | A | X | B | A | S | X |
| Nitrobenzene | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | A | X | A |
| Nitrogen | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Octane | X | X | A | A | X | X | A | A | X | A | S | A |
| Oxalic Acid | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | B | B | A | B | A |
| Oxygen – Cold (Care!) | B | B | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | S | B |
| Palmitic Acid | B | B | A | A | B | B | B | A | X | A | A | A |
| Paraffin / Kerosene | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | A | A | A |
| Pentane | X | X | B | A | X | X | B | A | X | A | S | A |
| Perchlorethylene | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | A | B | A | B | A |
| Petrol | X | X | B | A | X | X | X | A | B | A | B | A |
| Phenol | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | X | A | X | A |
| Phosphoric Acid | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | A | B | A | B | A |
| Potassium Carbonate | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | S | A |
Potassium Chlorate to Tannic Acid
| Nat | Sbr | Neo | Nit | Epd | But | Hyp | Vit | Sil | Ptf | Naf | Grf | |
| Potassium Chlorate | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | S | B |
| Potassium Dichromate | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | S | B |
| Potassium Hydroxide | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | B | B | A | B | A |
| Potassium Nitrate | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B |
| Potassium Permanganate | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | A | – | A | A | B |
| Producer Gas | B | X | B | A | X | A | A | A | B | A | A | A |
| Propane | X | X | A | A | X | X | A | A | X | A | S | A |
| Pyridine | X | X | X | X | B | A | – | X | X | A | X | A |
| Sea Water | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Silicone Oil | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A |
| Skydrol | X | X | X | X | B | A | X | B | B | A | A | A |
| Sodium Carbonate | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Sodium Chloride | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Sodium Hydroxide | B | B | B | B | B | A | B | A | B | A | B | A |
| Sodium Sulphate | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Steam Low Pressure | X | X | B | X | A | A | X | X | X | – | A | A |
| Steam High Pressure | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | – | B | A |
| Sulphuric Acid 30% | X | X | X | X | B | B | B | A | X | A | X | B |
| Sulphuric Acid 50% | X | X | X | X | X | B | B | B | X | A | X | B |
| Sulphuric Acid 96% | X | X | X | X | X | B | B | B | X | A | X | X |
| Sulphurous Acid | A | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | X | A | B | A |
| Tannic Acid | A | B | B | B | B | B | B | A | B | A | A | A |
Tar to Xylene
| Nat | Sbr | Neo | Nit | Epd | But | Hyp | Vit | Sil | Ptf | Naf | Grf | |
| Tar | X | X | B | B | X | X | B | A | B | A | S | A |
| Tartaric Acid | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Tetrachlorethane | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | A | – | A | B | A |
| Toluene | X | X | X | B | X | X | X | A | X | A | S | A |
| Trichlorethylene | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | B | X | A | B | A |
| Turpentine | X | X | X | B | X | X | X | A | X | A | A | A |
| Wines and Spirits | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| White Spirit | X | X | B | A | X | X | X | A | X | A | S | A |
| Xylene | X | X | X | B | X | X | X | A | X | A | S | A |
Frequently asked questions
What do A, B and X mean on a chemical resistance chart? A means the material is recommended (little or no effect), B means a minor to moderate effect (use with caution), and X means it is not recommended for that chemical. Always confirm concentration and temperature.
Which gasket material has the broadest chemical resistance? PTFE resists virtually all the chemicals listed, which is why it (or a PTFE envelope) is used for the most aggressive media. Graphite is also broadly resistant.
Does concentration change the rating? Yes — many chemicals are listed at specific concentrations (e.g. sulphuric acid 30% / 50% / 96%) because resistance falls as concentration rises. Match the rating to your actual concentration.
Sealing a mix of chemicals, or unsure of concentration? Contact our technical team or use the Material Selector.