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Polycarbonate and Calcium Hypochlorite: Chemical Resistance

Polycarbonate

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
aqueousA–
saturatedCD

Material comparison at 20 °C

Calcium Hypochlorite: Material comparison at 20 °CPolycarbonate: C (highlighted); ECTFE/ETFE: A; FEP: A; HDPE: A; LDPE: A; Nylon (PA): A.ECTFE/ETFE: AFEP: AHDPE: ALDPE: ANylon (PA): APMP: AAcetal (POM): APP: APolysulfone: APTFE: APVDF: ASAN: AEPDM: BViton (FPM): BPolystyrene: BPVC Rigid: BSS 316: BPolycarbonate: CPCPETG: CPVC Flexible: CSS 304: CAluminium: DNBR: DSilicone: –
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

The resistance of Polycarbonate to Calcium Hypochlorite is concentration-dependent. Across the 2 tested concentrations (aqueous, saturated), the 20 °C rating ranges from A at lower concentrations to D at higher ones. This means engineers must verify which concentration their process actually involves before relying on a single rating. 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

Calcium Hypochlorite is commonly encountered in waste treatment and pulp and paper. Polycarbonate (Polycarbonate) is a thermoplastic typically used for tanks, piping, containers and liners. Because Calcium Hypochlorite is classified as corrosive, the choice of containment material is especially critical to prevent leaks, equipment damage, and safety hazards.

Practical recommendation

Polycarbonate has limited resistance to Calcium Hypochlorite 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, Nylon (PA) offer significantly better resistance and are rated A.

Did you know?

Polycarbonate is commonly chosen for tanks, piping, containers and liners because of its combination of chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and cost-effectiveness.

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

Based on the row for saturated, 20 °C.

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

About Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is attacked by alkalis, amines, ketones, esters and many organic solvents, and it stress-cracks under load in contact with them.

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.