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SAN and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda): Chemical Resistance

Styrene-acrylonitrile

Rating

Concentration20 °C50 °CRemark
1 %––
30 %––
45 %AA
50 %–C
60 %––
concentrated––

Material comparison at 20 °C

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda): Material comparison at 20 °CSAN: – (highlighted); EPDM: A; HDPE: A; LDPE: A; Nylon (PA): A; PMP: A.EPDM: AHDPE: ALDPE: ANylon (PA): APMP: APP: APolystyrene: APolysulfone: APTFE: ASS 304: ASS 316: ANBR: BViton (FPM): CAcetal (POM): CAluminium: DPolycarbonate: DPETG: DPVDF: DECTFE/ETFE: –FEP: –PVC Rigid: –PVC Flexible: –SAN: –SANSilicone: –
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 shows excellent resistance to Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) across all 2 tested concentrations (45 %, 50 %) at 20 °C, making it a reliable choice for storage, transfer, and handling applications involving this chemical at any of the tested strengths. 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

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) is commonly encountered in cleaning and sanitation and textile processing. SAN (Styrene-acrylonitrile) is a thermoplastic typically used for tanks, piping, containers and liners. Because Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) is classified as corrosive, the choice of containment material is especially critical to prevent leaks, equipment damage, and safety hazards.

Practical recommendation

No resistance data is available for SAN in contact with Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda). Before using this combination, consult the material manufacturer or conduct independent testing.

Did you know?

In industrial practice, SAN components exposed to Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) are typically inspected for swelling, discoloration, or loss of mechanical strength as early indicators of chemical attack.

Materials rated A or B at 20 °C

Based on the row for 60 %, 20 °C.

Thermoplastics
HDPE A, PP A, LDPE A, Nylon (PA) A, Polystyrene A, Polysulfone A, PMP A
Fluoropolymers
PTFE A
Elastomers
EPDM A, NBR B
Metals
SS 316 A, SS 304 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.