Arctic White Lab Reference Series · No. 1
Will it hold up?
Plate and seal materials against the chemicals labs use most.
v1.3, reviewed November 2026
Chemicals
Compiled from published data. Not tested by Arctic White.
Plate Material Chemical Compatibility · Lab Reference Series No. 1 · v1.3
How to read the chart
- A. Recommended. No significant effect expected in normal use.
- B. Good. Minor effect possible. Fine for contact up to 24 hours.
- C. Fair. Limited contact only. Softening, swelling or stress possible.
- D. Not recommended. Do not use.
- T. Test first. Not enough published data. Test in your conditions.
- S. 30 days of contactRated for 30 days of constant contact.
Polypropylene (PP)
Standard plate body
Aqueous
- Polypropylene (PP) with Water and buffers: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with 1 M HCl: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with 1 M NaOH: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with Bleach 10%: B, Good
- Polypropylene (PP) with Formalin 10%: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
Alcohols
- Polypropylene (PP) with Methanol: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with Ethanol: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with Isopropanol: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
Polar aprotic
- Polypropylene (PP) with Acetonitrile: C, Fair
- Polypropylene (PP) with DMSO: B, Good. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with DMF: A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with Acetone: C, Fair
- Polypropylene (PP) with THF: D, Not recommended
LC-MS
- Polypropylene (PP) with Formic acid 0.1% (aq): A, Recommended. S, rated for 30 days of constant contact
- Polypropylene (PP) with TFA 0.1% (aq): A, Recommended
Non-polar and chlorinated
- Polypropylene (PP) with Ethyl acetate: B, Good
- Polypropylene (PP) with Hexane: D, Not recommended
- Polypropylene (PP) with Toluene: D, Not recommended
- Polypropylene (PP) with Chloroform: D, Not recommended
- Polypropylene (PP) with Dichloromethane: D, Not recommended
- Polypropylene (PP) with Phenol-chloroform: D, Not recommended
| Aqueous | Alcohols | Polar aprotic | LC-MS | Non-polar and chlorinated | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | 1Water and buffers | 21 M HCl | 31 M NaOH | 4Bleach 10% | 5Formalin 10% | 6Methanol | 7Ethanol | 8Isopropanol | 9Acetonitrile | 10DMSO | 11DMF | 12Acetone | 13THF | 14Formic acid 0.1% (aq) | 15TFA 0.1% (aq) | 16Ethyl acetate | 17Hexane | 18Toluene | 19Chloroform | 20Dichloromethane | 21Phenol-chloroform |
| Polypropylene (PP)Standard plate body | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Polystyrene (PS)Assay and cell culture plates | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Glass coated PPSiO₂ well surface only | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Polyethylene (PE)Filter plate frits, UHMW-PE | |||||||||||||||||||||
| PP membraneFilter plates | |||||||||||||||||||||
| PES membraneFilter plates | |||||||||||||||||||||
| PTFE-faced siliconeArctiSeal, PTFE face | |||||||||||||||||||||
| SiliconeArctiSeal, plain silicone | |||||||||||||||||||||
Notes
- 1.Ratings assume immersion at 20 to 25 °C for up to 24 hours, unless marked S. Compatibility is guidance, not a guarantee. Verify for your conditions and contact time.
- 2.Glass coated PP: each cell takes the lower of the glass rating and the polypropylene rating, because swelling or attack of the polypropylene underneath can crack a thin coating. 1 M NaOH is D: base dissolves silica. Surfaces outside the wells are uncoated polypropylene.
- 3.PTFE-faced silicone protects the sample side only. Edges and vapour reach the silicone, so check the Silicone row for volatile solvents.
- 4.Concentrations: HCl and NaOH 1 M; bleach 10% v/v; formalin 10%; formic acid and TFA 0.1% in water. Organic solvents are neat. For an LC-MS mobile phase, also check the acetonitrile or methanol column. Phenol-chloroform is phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol 25:24:1, rated by the harsher of phenol and chloroform.
- 5.S marks a rating backed by 30 days of constant contact at 20 °C with no or little damage.
- 6.Compiled from published manufacturer and material chemical resistance data, much of it generated with the immersion methods of ASTM D543 and ISO 175 (plastics) and ASTM D471 (rubber). Arctic White has not tested these combinations itself. Sources are listed below; the full source list is available on request. Data describe the bulk material, not leachables or extractables.
- 7.PP membrane: each cell is the lower of the MilliporeSigma and Sterlitech polypropylene membrane ratings and the polypropylene rating above. A thin, high-surface membrane can swell, lose pore integrity or stop wetting at exposures a moulded plate tolerates, so it can rate lower than the plate body.
- 8.Silicone with DMSO: published ratings disagree. Thermo Fisher and MilliporeSigma rate silicone not recommended with DMSO; swelling studies show almost no uptake. Plain silicone is fine for sealing during handling and short contact. For DMSO storage use the PTFE-faced mat, which keeps DMSO off the silicone. Extractables are not covered by this chart.
- 9.PE frits are ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), rated from high-density polyethylene data, the closest grade published.
Sources
- LyondellBasell, Tech Topic: Chemical Resistance of Polypropylene
- Pall chemical compatibility, media materials (Supor PES)
- MilliporeSigma, chemical compatibility of filter components
- Sartorius membrane filters and filter holders guide (2023)
- Cytiva Whatman Uniflo data sheet CY31056
- Dow silicone rubber fluid resistance guide 45-0113E
- Wacker silicone rubber guidelines 6709en
- Parker O-Ring Handbook ORD 5700
- DuPont Teflon PTFE properties handbook H-37051-3
- SCHOTT technical glasses
- SCHOTT DURAN data sheet
- Barbato et al., Materials 2024, 17, 4906 (silica dissolution in NaOH)
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Nalgene plastic labware chemical resistance reference guide
- Sterlitech, membrane chemical compatibility chart
- CP Lab Safety (Cal Pac Lab), Rubber Chemical Compatibility Reference Chart
- Bel-Art, Chemical Resistance Chart for Plastic Labware
Test methods
- ASTM D543, Standard Practices for Evaluating the Resistance of Plastics to Chemical Reagents
- ISO 175, Plastics: Methods of test for the determination of the effects of immersion in liquid chemicals
- ASTM D471, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property: Effect of Liquids
Revisions
- v1.3, November 2026: 1 M HCl rated A for polypropylene, glass coated PP and PP membrane. Sources: Bel-Art added.
- v1.2, 10 November 2026: Every changed cell rechecked against at least two current publishers, taking the most cautious rating.
- v1.1, 10 November 2026: Ratings checked against published manufacturer data. Formic acid and TFA defined as 0.1% in water. S marks and notes 7 to 9 added.
- v1.0, November 2026: First edition.