Chemical compatibility of AMF microfluidic materials
AMF- Material Compatibility Guide - 2025
Feb 2025

Material Compatibility Guide for AMF Components

Selecting the right materials is critical in microfluidic and automated liquid handling systems. Chemical compatibility impacts performance, durability, and reliability, especially in demanding applications such as life sciences, diagnostics, and industrial fluid handling.

At AMF, we design and manufacture precision-engineered components, ensuring optimal resistance to a wide range of chemicals. This guide provides a detailed compatibility assessment for the materials used in our microfluidic valves, rotary valves, syringe pumps, and fluidic distribution components.

The following compatibility ratings help determine how well each material performs when exposed to various chemicals.

Understanding compatibility ratings

Each material has been evaluated for resistance to a variety of chemicals. The ratings below indicate how well a material withstands prolonged chemical exposure:

  • R (Resistant) – The material shows little to no degradation, making it highly compatible.
  • NR (Not Recommended) – The material is susceptible to chemical attack, degradation, or swelling. Use is not advised.
  • N/A (No Data Available) – No confirmed compatibility data is available for this material with the specified chemical.

The chemical compatibility of the following materials has been assessed:

  • PCTFE (Polychlorotrifluoroethylene)
  • PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)
  • PEEK (Polyether ether ketone)
  • UHMW-PE (Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene)
  • Borosilicate Glass

This guide serves as a general reference. For critical applications, we recommend testing under specific operating conditions to confirm material performance.

Chemical PCTFE PTFE PEEK UHMW-PE Borosilicate Glass
Acetic Acid R R R R R
Acetone R R R R R
Acetonitrile N/A R R N/A R
Aqua Regia NR R NR NR NR
Ammonia (Aqueous) R R R R R
Ammonia (Anhydrous) N/A R NR NR NR
Benzene R R R R R
Boric Acid R R R R R
Butyl Acetate R R R R R
Carbon Tetrachloride NR R NR NR NR
Chloroform R R R R R
Citric Acid R R R R R
Cyclohexane R R R R R
Diesel Oil R R R R R
Ethanol R R R R R
Ethyl Acetate R R R R R
Formaldehyde N/A R N/A N/A R
Formic Acid NR R NR NR NR
Hydrochloric Acid (Concentrated) NR R NR NR NR
Hydrofluoric Acid NR R NR NR NR
Hydrogen Peroxide R R R R R
Isopropanol R R R R R
Methanol R R R R R
Methyl Ethyl Ketone NR R NR NR NR
Nitric Acid (Concentrated) NR R NR NR NR
Phenol R R R R R
Phosphoric Acid R R R R R
Sodium Hydroxide NR R NR NR NR
Sulfuric Acid (Concentrated) R R R R R
Toluene NR R NR NR NR
Trichloroethylene NR R NR NR NR
Xylene R R R R R
Aluminum Chloride R R R R R
Aluminum Hydroxide R R R R R
Ammonium Chloride R R R R R
Amyl Alcohol R R R R R
Barium Chloride R R R R R
Bromine R R R R R
Calcium Chloride R R R R R
Chromic Acid R R R R R
Copper Sulfate R R R R R
Dimethylformamide R R R R R
Ethyl Ether R R R R R
Ferric Chloride R R R R R
Formic Acid (50%) R R R R R
Glycerine R R R R R
Hexane R R R R R
Hydrazine R R R R R
Hydrocarbon Solvents R R R R R
Lactic Acid R R R R R
Mercury R R R R R
Nickel Sulfate R R R R R
Oleic Acid R R R R R
Oxalic Acid R R R R R
Ozone R R R R R
Perchloroethylene R R R R R
Potassium Hydroxide R R R R R
Silver Nitrate R R R R R
Sodium Carbonate R R R R R
Sodium Chloride R R R R R
Sodium Hypochlorite R R R R R
Styrene R R R R R
Trichlorobenzene N/A R N/A N/A N/A
Acetamide N/A R N/A N/A R
Acetyl Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Aluminum Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Ammonium Hydroxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Barium Carbonate N/A R N/A N/A R
Benzaldehyde N/A R N/A N/A R
Boron Trifluoride N/A R N/A N/A R
Cadmium Sulfate N/A R N/A N/A R
Calcium Hydroxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Carbon Disulfide N/A R N/A N/A R
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons N/A R N/A N/A R
Chlorobenzene N/A R N/A N/A R
Chromium Trioxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Copper Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Dibutyl Phthalate N/A R N/A N/A R
Diethyl Ether N/A R N/A N/A R
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) N/A R N/A N/A R
Ethyl Alcohol N/A R N/A N/A R
Ferric Sulfate N/A R N/A N/A R
Fluorosilicic Acid N/A R N/A N/A R
Glutaraldehyde N/A R N/A N/A R
Hydrobromic Acid N/A R N/A N/A R
Iodine N/A R N/A N/A R
Lead Acetate N/A R N/A N/A R
Lithium Bromide N/A R N/A N/A R
Magnesium Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Manganese Sulfate N/A R N/A N/A R
Molybdenum Trioxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Nickel Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Phenylhydrazine N/A R N/A N/A R
Potassium Dichromate N/A R N/A N/A R
Potassium Permanganate N/A R N/A N/A R
Rubidium Hydroxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Sodium Bicarbonate N/A R N/A N/A R
Sodium Fluoride N/A R N/A N/A R
Sulfur Dichloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Tannic Acid N/A R N/A N/A R
Thionyl Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Titanium Tetrachloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Vanadium Pentoxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Zinc Acetate N/A R N/A N/A R
Acetophenone N/A R N/A N/A R
Allyl Alcohol N/A R N/A N/A R
Aluminum Sulfate N/A R N/A N/A R
Ammonium Sulfate N/A R N/A N/A R
Aniline N/A R N/A N/A R
Beryllium Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Bismuth Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Butyl Alcohol N/A R N/A N/A R
Cadmium Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Caproic Acid N/A R N/A N/A R
Chlorinated Paraffins N/A R N/A N/A R
Cobalt Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Cresol N/A R N/A N/A R
Cyclohexanol N/A R N/A N/A R
Decane N/A R N/A N/A R
Dodecane N/A R N/A N/A R
Ethyl Bromide N/A R N/A N/A R
Ethyl Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Ethylene Glycol N/A R N/A N/A R
Fluorine Gas N/A R N/A N/A R
Formamide N/A R N/A N/A R
Formic Acid (85%) N/A R N/A N/A R
Gallium Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Heptane N/A R N/A N/A R
Hydroquinone N/A R N/A N/A R
Indium Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Isoamyl Alcohol N/A R N/A N/A R
Lanthanum Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Lead Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Methyl Acrylate N/A R N/A N/A R
Methyl Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Methyl Isobutyl Ketone N/A R N/A N/A R
Neodymium Nitrate N/A R N/A N/A R
Nickel Sulfate N/A R N/A N/A R
Octane N/A R N/A N/A R
Palladium Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Pentane N/A R N/A N/A R
Propionic Acid N/A R N/A N/A R
Selenium Dioxide N/A R N/A N/A R
Toluene Diisocyanate N/A R N/A N/A R
Vanadium Chloride N/A R N/A N/A R
Xenon Difluoride N/A R N/A N/A R
Zirconium Oxychloride N/A R N/A N/A R

Disclaimer

The information provided in this Material Compatibility Guide is intended as a general reference only. While we strive to ensure accuracy, actual material performance may vary depending on operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, and chemical concentration.

It is the user’s responsibility to validate material compatibility for their specific application through testing under real-world conditions. AMF does not guarantee the absolute suitability of any material for a given use and is not liable for damages resulting from material degradation or failure.

For critical applications, please contact our engineering team for expert guidance and customized recommendations.

Need guidance? Contact us!

If you have questions regarding material compatibility or require a custom solution, our team of engineers is available to assist you. Whether you need a fully customized valve solution or guidance in selecting the best material for your application, AMF can support your needs.

Contact us today to discuss your project and find the optimal solution for your fluidic system.

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References

The following references were used to compile the chemical compatibility data in this guide:

  1. Prelon Dichtsystem GmbH – Chemical Resistance of Plastics in Sealing Technology​
  2. Professional Plastics, Inc. – Chemical Resistance Chart​
  3. Professional Plastics, Inc. – PCTFE Chemical Resistance Data​
  4. Darwin Microfluidics – Mineral, Silicone, Fluorinated Oils Compatibility Chart​
  5. Graco – Industri al Chemical Compatibility Guide​
  6. CPC – Chemical Compatibility Chart for Coupling Materials​
  7. Plastshop.se (Lenom AB) – PE-UHMW Chemical Resistance Chart​
  8. Camozzi – Chemical compatibility table between fluids and materials
  9. Ensinger – Chemical Resistance
  10. BGB – Chemical resistance of Polymeric Tubing

For further details, contact AMF for personalized recommendations based on your specific application requirements.

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