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SAN and Chloroacetic Acid: Chemical Resistance

Styrene-acrylonitrile

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
50 %CD
concentration not statedCD

Material comparison at 20 °C

Chloroacetic Acid: Material comparison at 20 °CSAN: C (highlighted); ECTFE/ETFE: A; FEP: A; HDPE: A; LDPE: A; PMP: A.ECTFE/ETFE: AFEP: AHDPE: ALDPE: APMP: APP: APTFE: APolystyrene: BEPDM: CViton (FPM): CPolycarbonate: CPVC Rigid: CSAN: CSANAluminium: DNBR: DNylon (PA): DPETG: DAcetal (POM): DPolysulfone: DPVC Flexible: DPVDF: DSS 304: DSS 316: 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

SAN maintains a consistent rating of C across all 2 tested concentrations (50 %) of Chloroacetic Acid at 20 °C. The fact that the rating does not change with concentration within the tested range simplifies material selection, though the boundary conditions beyond this range remain untested. 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

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

Practical recommendation

SAN has limited resistance to Chloroacetic 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, PMP offer significantly better resistance and are rated A.

Did you know?

Temperature is often the deciding factor when selecting materials for Chloroacetic Acid: even materials rated A at 20 °C may lose performance at elevated temperatures.

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

Based on the row for concentration not stated, 20 °C.

Thermoplastics
HDPE A, PP A, LDPE A, Polystyrene B, PMP A
Fluoropolymers
PTFE A, FEP A, ECTFE/ETFE 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.