Chemical Compatibility Calculator
Score labware material compatibility against chemical and temperature exposure.
About Chemical Compatibility Calculator
Compatibility depends on the pairing rather than the material alone: glass resists acids but is attacked by strong bases, while polypropylene resists bases but swells in organic solvents. Temperature compounds every chemical effect. Labware failure during a run usually destroys the sample as well as the vessel, which makes checking the pairing beforehand worth the moment it takes.
Formula
Chemical Compatibility
Score = material base rating less chemical, temperature and exposure penalties
- PTFE
- Chemically inert to almost everything, the safest general choice
- polycarbonate
- Optically clear but attacked by solvents and bases
Worked example
With the default values below, Chemical Compatibility Calculator returns Compatibility Score of 50.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Labware materialone of Polypropylene, PTFE, Borosilicate glass, Stainless steel, Polycarbonate
- Polypropylene
- Chemical classone of Strong acid, Strong base, Organic solvent, Oxidiser, Aqueous buffer
- Organic solvent
- Exposure temperatureaccepts -200–400 C
- 40 C
- Exposure durationminimum 0 h
- 24 h
Results
- Compatibility Score
- 50.0 /100
- Rating
- Limited — short exposure only
- Maximum Service Temperature
- 135 C
- Within Temperature Limit
- Yes
- Guidance
- Material and exposure appear compatible
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Chemical Compatibility
- 3Compatibility Score= 50.0 /100
- 4Rating= Limited — short exposure only
- 5Maximum Service Temperature= 135 C
- 6Within Temperature Limit= Yes
- 7Guidance= Material and exposure appear compatible
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- This is an indicative screening tool only. Always consult the manufacturer's chemical resistance data and the substance safety data sheet before use, and follow your institution's safety procedures for hazardous materials.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
This is an indicative screening tool only. Always consult the manufacturer's chemical resistance data and the substance safety data sheet before use, and follow your institution's safety procedures for hazardous materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Chemical Compatibility calculated?
Score = material base rating less chemical, temperature and exposure penalties Compatibility depends on the pairing rather than the material alone: glass resists acids but is attacked by strong bases, while polypropylene resists bases but swells in organic solvents. Temperature compounds every chemical effect.
Why does Chemical Compatibility matter?
Labware failure during a run usually destroys the sample as well as the vessel, which makes checking the pairing beforehand worth the moment it takes.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Labware material, Chemical class, Exposure temperature, Exposure duration. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.