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PVC Flexible and Hydrogen Sulfide: Chemical Resistance

Flexible (plasticised) polyvinyl chloride

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
saturatedCC

Material comparison at 20 °C

Hydrogen Sulfide: Material comparison at 20 °CPVC Flexible: C (highlighted); Aluminium: A; EPDM: A; FEP: A; HDPE: A; LDPE: A.Aluminium: AEPDM: AFEP: AHDPE: ALDPE: ANylon (PA): APolycarbonate: APETG: AAcetal (POM): APP: APolysulfone: APTFE: APVC Rigid: APVDF: ASAN: ASS 304: ASS 316: AViton (FPM): CPolystyrene: CPVC Flexible: CPVC-PNBR: DECTFE/ETFE: –PMP: –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 Hydrogen Sulfide at saturated 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. 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

Hydrogen Sulfide is commonly encountered in electronics cleaning and cleaning and degreasing. PVC Flexible (Flexible (plasticised) polyvinyl chloride) is a thermoplastic typically used for tanks, piping, containers and liners. Since Hydrogen Sulfide is flammable, material selection must also consider the risk of static charge buildup and the need for proper grounding in storage and transfer systems.

Practical recommendation

PVC Flexible has limited resistance to Hydrogen Sulfide 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?

When choosing between thermoplastics for Hydrogen Sulfide service, engineers consider not just the resistance rating but also factors such as permeation rate, creep resistance, and weldability.

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

Based on the row for saturated, 20 °C.

Thermoplastics
HDPE A, PP A, PVC Rigid A, LDPE A, Nylon (PA) A, Acetal (POM) A, Polycarbonate A, Polysulfone A, PETG A, SAN A
Fluoropolymers
PTFE A, PVDF A, FEP A
Elastomers
EPDM A
Metals
SS 316 A, SS 304 A, Aluminium A

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.