Chemical resistance testing and evaluation
Chemical resistance testing allows for a rigorous evaluation of how materials, coatings, and industrial components respond to exposure to aggressive substances under real or simulated conditions. This type of analysis is essential in environments where chemical interaction can compromise material integrity, directly affecting product safety, durability, and performance.
In industrial applications, materials are continuously exposed to agents such as acids, bases, solvents, fuels, cleaning products, or electrolytes. These conditions can lead to progressive degradation processes that are not always evident in early stages but eventually result in critical failures. For this reason, validation through specific testing becomes a fundamental tool to anticipate problems and ensure reliability in service.
The technical approach applied in chemical resistance testing of materials combines standardized methodologies with advanced characterization techniques. This makes it possible not only to measure behavior against chemical agents but also to understand degradation mechanisms, supporting decision-making in material selection, product design, and qualification processes.
What do chemical resistance tests and evaluations consist of?
Chemical resistance tests consist of subjecting materials to controlled exposure conditions to chemical substances in order to evaluate their behavior against degradation processes. These tests can be carried out through full immersion, surface exposure, or intermittent contact, depending on the type of material, application, and chemical agent involved.
From a technical perspective, resistance to chemical agents refers to a material’s ability to maintain its physical, mechanical, and chemical properties without significant alteration when in contact with potentially aggressive substances, such as corrosive liquids. This interaction can generate phenomena such as absorption, dissolution, chemical reactions, swelling, or structural degradation, whose evolution must be accurately characterized.
Certain tests are performed following international standards such as ISO 175 or ASTM D543 for polymers, ISO 2812 for coatings, or EN ISO 374 for protective materials. These standards define testing conditions, exposure times, types of reagents, and evaluation parameters, allowing for comparable and reproducible results. In addition, they ensure data validity in industrial qualification and compliance processes, which are crucial for testing methods.
During testing, multiple variables are analyzed to quantify the impact of the chemical agent on the material, including plastic materials, their resistance, and tensile behavior, especially under different chemical exposures. These variables include mass variation, dimensional changes, hardness loss, surface alterations, or modifications in optical properties. However, evaluation is not limited to these parameters, but is complemented with advanced techniques such as electron microscopy or FTIR/EDX spectroscopy, which allow identification of degradation products and understanding of the chemical mechanisms involved.
This comprehensive approach transforms testing into a diagnostic and validation tool, capable of providing critical information both in development phases and in failure analysis or quality control.
Benefits and advantages of chemical resistance testing
Chemical degradation of materials is one of the most complex and frequent causes of failure in industrial environments, especially in applications where components are in continuous contact with aggressive substances. The lack of proper validation can lead to premature failures that compromise system functionality and generate high costs.
One of the most common issues is chemical incompatibility between the material and the service environment. In polymers and elastomers, this results in phenomena such as swelling, loss of mechanical properties, or dimensional changes, which can affect sealing performance and cause leaks. In the case of coatings, degradation may appear as loss of adhesion, blistering, or surface deterioration. Material ageing can reduce its protective capacity against chemical products and increase wear or abrasion effects.
Another critical aspect is the occurrence of progressive degradation, which is difficult to detect in early stages. Microcracks, embrittlement, or changes in the internal structure of the material can evolve over time, leading to fractures or functional failures. This type of deterioration is particularly relevant in applications subjected to cleaning cycles, intermittent chemical exposure, or variable temperature and concentration conditions.
In addition, chemical interaction can generate secondary reactions that affect material stability or compatibility with other system components. This is especially critical in sectors such as automotive, food, or energy, where overall system reliability depends on the behavior of multiple interacting materials.
Chemical resistance testing in industrial materials makes it possible to identify these issues in a controlled manner, reproduce real service conditions, and evaluate the impact of different variables. In this way, it becomes a key tool for failure prevention, material optimization, and ensuring product reliability.
Chemical resistance testing and evaluation at INFINITIA
The analysis of chemical resistance in materials is a strategic element in industrial development, as it reduces uncertainty associated with material behavior under real service conditions. In many cases, failures are not related to mechanical loads but to chemical degradation processes that evolve silently until a critical failure occurs.
Performing chemical testing on industrial materials allows validation from early development stages, avoiding costly iterations in later phases. This validation is particularly relevant in contexts where new materials are introduced, formulations are modified, or suppliers are changed, as small variations can lead to significant differences in chemical resistance.
In addition, these tests enable correlation between laboratory conditions and real service behavior, facilitating the definition of operating limits, maintenance protocols, and safe usage conditions. This information is essential to ensure system reliability and reduce risks associated with unexpected failures.
From a technical perspective, the added value of this analysis lies in the combination of testing and characterization to evaluate material resistance. Not only is the effect of the chemical agent measured, but the mechanisms responsible for deterioration are also identified, allowing action on the root cause of the problem. This approach is particularly useful in continuous improvement processes, development of new materials, or resolution of field issues.
In this context, the laboratory does not act merely as a testing environment but as an applied engineering tool that provides knowledge, reduces uncertainty, and supports informed technical decision-making.
Types of chemical resistance tests and evaluations in industrial materials
Chemical resistance testing plays a transversal role in multiple industrial applications where materials are exposed to aggressive environments. Its use makes it possible to validate materials, compare solutions, and optimize designs based on their chemical behavior.
In practice, these tests are applied both in development stages and in product validation or failure analysis, allowing reproduction of real service conditions and evaluation of material evolution over time. The ability to combine chemical exposure with advanced characterization techniques provides a comprehensive understanding of material behavior.
Chemical immersion testing in materials
Immersion tests consist of subjecting samples to specific chemical solutions over controlled periods, evaluating the evolution of their properties. This type of test allows analysis of phenomena such as substance absorption, swelling, mass loss, or dimensional changes, providing quantitative information on chemical interaction.
Based on the results obtained, it is possible to establish acceptance criteria, select more suitable materials, or identify usage limitations. In addition, post-analysis using techniques such as FTIR or microscopy allows identification of degradation products and understanding of the mechanisms involved, facilitating material and process optimization.
Testing in coatings and paints
In coatings, chemical resistance testing focuses on evaluating protective performance against aggressive agents. Phenomena such as loss of adhesion, blistering, discoloration, or loss of gloss are analyzed, as they can compromise the functionality of the protective system and evaluate material resistance.
These tests allow validation of formulations, comparison of solutions, and assurance of durability of surfaces exposed to demanding conditions. They also facilitate the selection of coatings based on the specific chemical environment, optimizing long-term performance.
Testing in polymers and elastomers
Polymers and elastomers are highly sensitive to chemical interaction, making their evaluation under representative service conditions essential. These tests allow analysis of changes in mechanical properties, dimensional stability, or behavior when exposed to specific fluids, as well as resistance to aggressive chemical products.
The information obtained is key for applications where sealing, flexibility, or fluid resistance are critical, helping to avoid premature failures and optimize material selection.
Standardized ISO and ASTM testing
The application of international standards allows testing to be standardized and ensures comparability of results. This is essential in qualification, certification, or product validation processes in regulated markets.
The use of standardized methodologies provides technical rigor, facilitates communication with clients and certification bodies, and ensures the validity of results across different industrial contexts.
Comparative testing between materials
Comparative testing allows evaluation of different materials or formulations under the same exposure conditions, facilitating the selection of the most suitable solution. This approach is particularly useful in optimization processes, supplier changes, or validation of new solutions.
Direct comparison of results makes it possible to identify behavioral differences, reduce uncertainty, and support technical decision-making based on experimental data.
Industrial sectors where chemical resistance testing and evaluation are applied
Chemical resistance testing is applied across multiple industrial sectors where materials are exposed to aggressive substances that may compromise their integrity, functionality, and safety. Its use enables adaptation of material selection, validation of solutions, and definition of control strategies based on real chemical conditions in each application.
The evaluation of material chemical resistance is integrated into both development and operational phases, allowing anticipation of degradation, optimization of formulations, and ensuring product performance against agents such as acids, bases, solvents, fuels, or cleaning products.
Automotive chemical resistance: material validation against service fluids and demanding operating conditions
In the automotive sector, materials are continuously exposed to fluids such as fuels, oils, coolants, or urea solutions (AdBlue), which can lead to progressive chemical degradation. This exposure, combined with varying temperature and pressure conditions, accelerates phenomena such as swelling, embrittlement, or loss of mechanical properties, compromising component functionality.
- Compatibility with service fluids: Materials must withstand prolonged contact with chemical substances without significant degradation.
- Critical components: Elements such as seals, tanks, or piping require dimensional and mechanical stability to prevent leaks or failures.
- Demanding operating conditions: Thermal and chemical variations that accelerate material degradation.
Chemical resistance testing in automotive applications allows evaluation of polymers, elastomers, and coatings under simulated service conditions, facilitating material selection and reducing the risk of failure in critical systems.
Food and packaging chemical resistance: chemical safety and compatibility with cleaning agents
In the food industry, materials are subjected to intensive cleaning processes using detergents, disinfectants, and caustic solutions, as well as direct or indirect contact with food. This combination of requirements demands both chemical resistance and the absence of migration that could compromise food safety.
- Exposure to cleaning agents: Cleaning-in-place (CIP) processes involving aggressive chemical solutions.
- Food safety requirements: Materials must not release compounds or degrade when in contact with food.
- Stability in repeated cycles: Resistance to multiple cleaning cycles without loss of properties, especially in plastic packaging containing chemical reagents.
Testing allows validation of films, packaging, coatings, and processing equipment components, ensuring chemical performance and regulatory compliance in highly demanding environments.
Coatings and construction chemical resistance: durability against aggressive chemical agents
In construction and infrastructure applications, coatings are exposed to fertilizers, industrial cleaning products, acidic solutions, or alkaline environments that can degrade their protective capacity. Loss of adhesion or surface degradation can compromise the durability of structures, metals, and surfaces, especially in plastics exposed to harsh conditions and ageing.
- Protection against aggressive environments: Metal coatings exposed to chemicals in outdoor or industrial environments.
- Surface degradation: Phenomena such as blistering, whitening, gloss loss, or cracking.
- Structural lifespan: Need to maintain protection over time.
Chemical resistance testing in coatings allows evaluation of paints, varnishes, and anticorrosive systems, facilitating selection of more durable solutions and optimizing performance under real service conditions.
Chemical and pharmaceutical chemical resistance: material safety and compatibility in corrosive environments
In this sector, materials are in direct contact with concentrated reagents, organic solvents, and highly corrosive substances. Chemical degradation can affect both operator safety and equipment integrity, requiring strict control of material behavior.
- Exposure to aggressive substances: Strong acids and bases, lubricants, and solvents that can rapidly degrade materials.
- Protective and transport equipment: Gloves, hoses, or pipes that must maintain integrity and protective effect.
- Safety requirements: Failures may have critical consequences in industrial processes.
Testing allows validation of materials used in equipment, PPE, and fluid transport systems, ensuring chemical compatibility and reliability under demanding conditions, including plastic materials.
Medical and healthcare chemical resistance: material stability under sterilisation processes
Materials used in medical devices and healthcare environments must withstand chemical sterilization processes and exposure to disinfectants without losing functional properties. Degradation may affect patient safety or device performance.
- Exposure to sterilizing agents: Alcohols, peroxides, chlorinated solutions, or sterilizing gases.
- Integrity requirements: Materials must maintain mechanical and optical properties.
- Repeated use cycles: Stability after multiple cleaning and sterilization processes.
Chemical resistance testing in medical materials allows validation of devices, packaging, and coatings, ensuring performance under real hospital conditions.
Energy and electronics chemical resistance: material reliability in complex chemical environments
In sectors such as energy and electronics, materials are exposed to electrolytes, solvents, and chemical agents used in operation or maintenance processes, including high-temperature resistant plastics. Chemical degradation can affect electrical performance, safety, and system lifespan.
- Exposure to electrolytes and specific chemicals: Especially in batteries and electronic systems.
- Advanced materials: Encapsulants, resins, and composites sensitive to chemical interaction.
- Long-term reliability: Need to maintain properties under demanding conditions, especially in thermoplastic materials.
Testing allows validation of encapsulants, coatings, and electronic components, ensuring chemical stability and performance in critical applications, particularly in the presence of aggressive liquids.
INFINITIA as a partner in chemical resistance testing and evaluation
Chemical resistance testing is a strategic tool for any company operating in environments where materials are exposed to aggressive agents and demanding conditions. Throughout this analysis, it has been demonstrated how these tests allow anticipation of material, coating, and component behavior, significantly reducing the risk of failure in service and ensuring product reliability.
Thanks to objective experimental data, these tests enable comparison of materials, validation of solutions, and optimization of designs on a solid technical basis. This analytical capability supports informed decision-making, minimizing uncertainty associated with theoretical assumptions or uncontrolled field testing. Furthermore, they directly contribute to improving product quality, ensuring that materials meet chemical resistance requirements and enhancing durability in critical environments.
In this context, their role in qualification and regulatory compliance processes is particularly relevant. The application of international standards allows objective demonstration of material performance against chemical agents, facilitating validation across different markets and industrial sectors. This approach builds confidence not only in development phases but also in the introduction of new products or materials.
The future of this type of testing is oriented toward greater integration with advanced characterization techniques, failure prevention, degradation modeling, and simulation of service conditions. The combination of experimental data with predictive tools will enable more accurate anticipation of material behavior, optimizing design and further reducing risks associated with their use.
Working with a technical partner such as INFINITIA means having access to expertise capable of not only evaluating chemical resistance but also understanding degradation mechanisms and proposing solutions tailored to each application. This knowledge drives continuous improvement, optimizes materials, and ensures that products not only meet their function but maintain performance throughout their entire service life.
Frequently asked questions about chemical resistance testing
What is a chemical resistance test and what is it used for?
A chemical resistance test is a controlled procedure that evaluates how a material, coating or industrial component responds when exposed to aggressive substances (acids, bases, solvents, fuels, detergents or electrolytes) under simulated or real-use conditions. Its purpose is to verify whether the material maintains its functional properties (mechanical, dimensional, surface or chemical) after that contact, and to quantify the degree of deterioration if it occurs.
At INFINITIA, these tests go beyond measuring the effect of the chemical agent: they are combined with advanced characterisation techniques such as FTIR, EDX or electron microscopy to identify the degradation mechanisms involved. This transforms the test into a real diagnostic tool, useful both in product development stages and in failure analysis or production quality control.
What materials can be subjected to chemical resistance testing?
Chemical resistance tests can be applied to a wide variety of industrial materials. Each family presents different degradation mechanisms, so the test design must be adapted to the material and the chemical agent involved:
- Polymers and thermoplastics: embrittlement, loss of mechanical properties or dimensional changes due to absorption of the chemical agent.
- Elastomers and rubbers: swelling, softening or loss of elasticity in contact with solvents or service fluids.
- Coatings and paints: loss of adhesion, blistering or discolouration that compromises the protective capacity.
- Metals and alloys: surface degradation, pitting or intergranular attack in the presence of acids, bases or electrolytes.
- Composite materials: delamination or degradation of the polymer matrix through interaction with aggressive agents.
- Adhesives and sealants: loss of cohesion or bond failure in contact with solvents or cleaning products.
At INFINITIA we work with the full spectrum of industrial materials, including plastics and polymers and composite materials. This breadth allows us to address multi-material problems, common in systems where several components interact with the same aggressive fluid. If you are unsure whether your material is a candidate for this type of test, contact us and we will assess it with no commitment.
What are the most commonly used standards in chemical resistance testing?
The most widely used standards in chemical resistance testing are ISO 175 and ASTM D543 for polymers, ISO 2812 for coatings and paints, and EN ISO 374 for personal protective materials against chemical products. These standards define the exposure conditions, reference reagents, immersion times and evaluation parameters, ensuring reproducible and comparable results across laboratories.
The selection of the appropriate standard depends on the sector, the type of material and the purpose of the test, internal validation, qualification or certification. At INFINITIA we apply these standardised methodologies when the client requires them, but we also design bespoke tests when real-use conditions are not covered by any existing standard. This allows us to obtain data that truly reflects the behaviour of the material in service.
When is it necessary to carry out a chemical resistance test?
A chemical resistance test is necessary when a material or component is going to be in contact with potentially aggressive substances and it is essential to verify that its behaviour is safe and stable under those conditions. The most critical moments are:
- Before launching a new product to market.
- When changing supplier or modifying a material formulation.
- After detecting a field failure of uncertain origin.
- In material qualification processes.
It is also valuable as a preventive tool within quality control programmes, especially in regulated sectors such as automotive, food, pharmaceutical or energy. Acting before the problem appears in production or in the field is always more efficient, and less costly, than managing a critical failure after the fact.
What is the difference between a chemical resistance test and a corrosion test?
Chemical resistance tests evaluate the general response of a material to aggressive agents such as acids, bases, solvents or detergents, measuring variables such as mass variation, dimensional changes or mechanical alterations. Corrosion tests, on the other hand, focus specifically on the electrochemical degradation of metallic materials in the presence of electrolytes, using techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry or salt spray testing.
Both methodologies are complementary. At INFINITIA we combine chemical resistance testing with corrosion evaluation and protection when the client works with metals exposed to aggressive environments, as degradation can respond to both physicochemical and electrochemical mechanisms simultaneously.
What techniques are used to analyse chemical damage in a material after testing?
After chemical exposure, damage analysis is carried out combining macroscopic and advanced characterisation techniques. At macroscopic level, changes in mass, dimensional variations, hardness loss or surface appearance alterations are assessed. At microscopic and chemical level, FTIR spectroscopy (to detect changes in molecular structure), EDX (to identify incorporated or lost elements), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fractography are used to study the initiation and propagation of internal damage.
This combination allows not only to quantify the damage, but to understand what mechanism generated it, which is fundamental for addressing the root cause of the problem. At INFINITIA we systematically integrate post-test characterisation, transforming experimental data into actionable knowledge for the client.
Is it possible to simulate real-use conditions in the lab to evaluate chemical resistance?
Yes, it is possible to design tests that replicate the most relevant variables of the service environment: concentration of the chemical agent, temperature, exposure time, immersion and drying cycles, or combination with other degradation factors such as UV radiation or mechanical stress. When these conditions are not covered by any standard, customised setups are designed to obtain data directly relevant to the specific application.
Simulating real-use conditions is especially useful when the aim is to correlate laboratory behaviour with the expected service life in the field, or when investigating a failure that occurred under specific conditions that need to be reproduced in a controlled way. At INFINITIA, this type of test is a regular part of our failure analysis projects and material characterisation work.
How are chemical resistance tests related to material ageing?
Chemical resistance tests and ageing tests are closely related because exposure to aggressive agents is one of the main ageing mechanisms in industrial materials. Chemical degradation frequently combines with thermal, mechanical or radiation factors, accelerating material deterioration synergistically and, in many cases, generating failure modes that are difficult to anticipate without experimental testing.
Accelerated ageing tests allow the material to be subjected to intensified conditions to predict its long-term behaviour within reduced timeframes. At INFINITIA we combine both methodologies when the goal is to evaluate the real durability of the product, especially in applications where chemical exposure occurs cyclically or cumulatively throughout its service life.
In which industrial sectors is chemical resistance of materials most critical?
Chemical resistance is critical in any sector where materials are in continuous or intermittent contact with aggressive substances. The sectors with the highest demand for this type of testing are:
- Automotive: exposure to fuels, oils, coolants and brake fluids that can degrade gaskets, pipelines and tanks.
- Food industry and packaging: intensive cleaning cycles with caustic detergents and disinfectants, combined with strict food safety requirements.
- Chemical and pharmaceutical industry: direct contact with concentrated acids, bases and solvents in equipment, PPE and fluid transport systems.
- Medical and healthcare sector: exposure to sterilising agents — alcohols, peroxides, chlorinated solutions — that must be compatible with the functional integrity of the device.
- Energy and electronics: advanced materials — encapsulants, resins, composites — subjected to electrolytes and specific chemicals under high-demand conditions.
At INFINITIA we have proven experience across all these sectors, with cases including rubber and elastomer defect detection, industrial coating validation and chemical compatibility analysis in automotive components.
What sets INFINITIA apart from other chemical resistance testing services?
INFINITIA is not a standard testing laboratory or a generalist technology centre: it is an external technical partner specialised in materials engineering, with its own capacity to design the test, interpret the results and propose concrete solutions to the client’s problem. This makes a relevant difference compared to other options such as accredited laboratories that issue results without engineering context, universities or technology centres with slower response times and a more academic orientation, or in-house company services lacking equipment or multi-sector experience.
At INFINITIA the test is not delivered as an isolated data report, but as part of a technical process that includes setup design, selection of the most appropriate methodology and translation of results into actionable decisions. Our multidisciplinary approach (integrating materials engineering, analytical chemistry and forensic engineering) allows us to tackle complex cases where failure or degradation responds to the interaction of several factors. If you want to learn more about the team and the way we work, you can visit the who we are section.
Can INFINITIA help identify the cause of a failure caused by chemical degradation?
Yes. Identifying failures caused by chemical degradation is one of the most common applications of our work as an external technical partner. When a component fails in the field or in production and a previously unforeseen chemical interaction is suspected, the process combines controlled reproduction of exposure conditions with advanced characterisation techniques to identify which agent acted, how the damage evolved and what the failure mechanism was.
This approach is part of our root cause failure diagnosis methodology. The result is a rigorous and traceable technical report that the expert witness can use as a basis for issuing their forensic report, should the process have legal or liability implications. If you are facing this type of failure, tell us about the case: an initial technical conversation with no commitment can go a long way in guiding the diagnosis.
How long does it take to obtain results from a chemical resistance test?
The timeframes for a chemical resistance test depend mainly on the technical complexity of the case, the type of material, the chemical agent involved and the level of characterisation required. In general terms, standard projects are resolved within 1 to 4 weeks from sample receipt and definition of the test scope.
For more urgent situations, INFINITIA offers an urgent quotation option that allows preliminary results to be obtained within 24-72 hours. If you have a tight deadline or an active production issue, let us know when you get in touch and we will take it into account from the very first moment. You can do so through the contact form on this page or by calling us directly by phone.
