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SAN and Aluminum Chloride: Chemical Resistance

Styrene-acrylonitrile

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
10 %AA
saturatedAA
solid––

Material comparison at 20 °C

Aluminum Chloride: Material comparison at 20 °CSAN: A (highlighted); EPDM: A; FEP: A; Viton (FPM): A; HDPE: A; LDPE: A.EPDM: AFEP: AViton (FPM): AHDPE: ALDPE: ANBR: ANylon (PA): APolycarbonate: APMP: APP: APolystyrene: APTFE: APVC Rigid: APVDF: ASAN: ASANECTFE/ETFE: BPETG: BAcetal (POM): CSS 316: CAluminium: DSS 304: DPolysulfone: –PVC Flexible: –Silicone: –
A very good resistanceB good resistanceC limited resistanceD not resistantno data
Each bar is one material. Taller bars indicate better resistance. The highlighted bar is the current material.

Resistance overview

SAN shows excellent resistance to Aluminum Chloride across all 2 tested concentrations (10 %, saturated) at 20 °C, making it a reliable choice for storage, transfer, and handling applications involving this chemical at any of the tested strengths. The rating remains stable between 20 °C and 50 °C, which means this material can also handle moderately elevated process temperatures without additional risk.

Application context

Aluminum Chloride is commonly encountered in bleaching and chemical processing. SAN (Styrene-acrylonitrile) is a thermoplastic typically used for tanks, piping, containers and liners. Because Aluminum Chloride is classified as corrosive, the choice of containment material is especially critical to prevent leaks, equipment damage, and safety hazards.

Practical recommendation

SAN can be used with confidence for Aluminum Chloride containment and handling. The A rating indicates that the material shows no significant change in weight, dimensions, or mechanical properties after prolonged contact under test conditions. This holds true at both 20 °C and 50 °C, giving a good safety margin for typical process environments.

Did you know?

In industrial practice, SAN components exposed to Aluminum Chloride are typically inspected for swelling, discoloration, or loss of mechanical strength as early indicators of chemical attack.

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

Based on the row for 10 %, 20 °C.

Thermoplastics
HDPE A, PP A, PVC Rigid A, LDPE A, Nylon (PA) A, Polycarbonate A, Polystyrene A, PETG B, PMP A
Fluoropolymers
PTFE A, PVDF A, FEP A, ECTFE/ETFE B
Elastomers
EPDM A, Viton (FPM) A, NBR A

About SAN

Styrene-acrylonitrile resists oils and dilute acids better than polystyrene, but ketones, esters and aromatic and chlorinated solvents still attack it.

Rating scale

A rating marked * is an estimate in the source, not a test result. An estimate is given as one value without a temperature.

About this data

The ratings come from the chemical resistance list published by Bürkle GmbH, which compiled them from raw-material manufacturers’ data. They describe laboratory tests on the raw material at 20 °C and 50 °C.

A finished part also sees pressure, mechanical stress, welds and mixtures that a laboratory test does not. Treat the rating as a first filter and test under your own conditions before relying on it.