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PP and Isobutanol: Chemical Resistance

Polypropylene

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
concentration not statedAA

Material comparison at 20 °C

Isobutanol: Material comparison at 20 °CPP: A (highlighted); Aluminium: A; ECTFE/ETFE: A; EPDM: A; FEP: A; Viton (FPM): A.Aluminium: AECTFE/ETFE: AEPDM: AFEP: AViton (FPM): AHDPE: ALDPE: APolycarbonate: APMP: AAcetal (POM): APP: APPPolysulfone: APTFE: APVC Rigid: APVDF: ASS 304: ASS 316: ANylon (PA): BPETG: BPolystyrene: BNBR: CSAN: CPVC 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

PP shows very good resistance (A) to Isobutanol at 20 °C, meaning the material remains essentially unaffected by this chemical under standard laboratory test conditions. 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

Isobutanol is commonly encountered in food and beverage processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing. PP (Polypropylene) is a thermoplastic typically used for tanks, piping, containers and liners. Since Isobutanol 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

PP can be used with confidence for Isobutanol 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?

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

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

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

About PP

Polypropylene resists most acids, alkalis and salt solutions. Concentrated oxidising acids, chlorinated solvents and aromatic hydrocarbons attack it, and it turns brittle below about 0 °C.

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.