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PVC Flexible and Battery Acid: Chemical Resistance

Flexible (plasticised) polyvinyl chloride

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
38 %CD

Material comparison at 20 °C

Battery Acid: Material comparison at 20 °CPVC Flexible: C (highlighted); ECTFE/ETFE: A; EPDM: A; FEP: A; Viton (FPM): A; HDPE: A.ECTFE/ETFE: AEPDM: AFEP: AViton (FPM): AHDPE: ALDPE: APolycarbonate: APMP: APP: APolystyrene: APolysulfone: APTFE: APVC Rigid: APVDF: ASS 304: BSS 316: BAluminium: CPVC Flexible: CPVC-PNBR: DNylon (PA): DPETG: DAcetal (POM): DSAN: –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

PVC Flexible has limited resistance (C) to Battery Acid at 38 % at 20 °C. This indicates that the chemical has a noticeable effect on the material, which may include visible swelling, softening, or a measurable loss of tensile strength. Use is generally limited to short-term or intermittent contact where full structural integrity is not required. However, at 50 °C the resistance rating drops, indicating that temperature must be factored into the design. For heated applications, additional testing under actual service conditions is strongly recommended.

Application context

Battery Acid is commonly encountered in chemical processing and surface cleaning. PVC Flexible (Flexible (plasticised) polyvinyl chloride) is a thermoplastic typically used for tanks, piping, containers and liners. Because Battery Acid is classified as corrosive, the choice of containment material is especially critical to prevent leaks, equipment damage, and safety hazards.

Practical recommendation

PVC Flexible has limited resistance to Battery Acid and should only be used for short-term or intermittent contact at ambient temperature. The C rating means the material undergoes noticeable changes — swelling, loss of strength, or surface degradation — that make it unsuitable for permanent installations. For prolonged or continuous exposure, HDPE, LDPE, Polycarbonate offer significantly better resistance and are rated A.

Did you know?

Chemical resistance testing according to DIN and ISO standards typically evaluates weight change, dimensional change, and retention of tensile strength after immersion.

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

Based on the row for 38 %, 20 °C.

Thermoplastics
HDPE A, PP A, PVC Rigid A, LDPE A, Polycarbonate A, Polystyrene A, Polysulfone A, PMP A
Fluoropolymers
PTFE A, PVDF A, FEP A, ECTFE/ETFE A
Elastomers
EPDM A, Viton (FPM) A
Metals
SS 316 B, SS 304 B

About PVC Flexible

Flexible PVC shares the solvent weaknesses of rigid PVC, and any liquid that extracts the plasticiser also hardens it. It is generally less resistant than rigid PVC.

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.