Properties of Corning Plasticware



	inside life sciences
	news center
	products + services
	product catalog
	product literature
	equipment compatibility guide
	our locations
	events
	careers
	contact us
	order information

catalog only

other site sections

corning home > life sciences > US + Canada > technical information >

General Laboratory Product Information - Plasticware

Characteristics of Corning Plasticware

		Polystyrene	Polyethylene (High Density)	Polypropylene	Polycarbonate	Nylon	*P.T.F.E. (Teflon¨)**	Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Physical Characteristics	Basic Properties	Biologically inert, hard, excellent optical qualities	Biologically inert, high chemical resistance	Biologically inert, high chemical resistance, exceptional toughness	Clear, very tough, inert, high temperature resistance	Tough, heat resistant, machinable, high moisture vapor transmission	Biologically & chemically inert, high resistant slippery surface	Biologically inert, hard, tough, excellent optical qualities
	Clarity	Clear	Opaque	Translucent	Clear	Opaque	Opaque	Clear
	Autoclave Results	Melts	May distort	Withstands several cycles	Withstands one cycle	OK	OK	Melts
	Heat Distortion Point	147-175°F 64-80°C	250°F 121°C	275°F 135°C	280-290°F 138-143°C	300-356°F 150-180°C	250°F 121°C	158°F 70°C
	Burning Rate	Slow	Slow	Slow	Self-extinguishing	Self-extinguishing	None	----
Effects of Laboratory Reagents	Weak Acids	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
	Strong Acids	Oxidizing acids attack	Oxidizing acids attack	Oxidizing acids attack	May be attacked	Attacked	None	Oxidizing acids attack
	Weak Alkalies	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
	Strong Alkalies	None	None	None	Slowly attacked	None	None	Attacked
	Organic Solvents	Soluble in aromatic chlorinated hydrocarbons	Resistant below 80°	Resistant below 80°	Soluble in chlorinated hydrocarbons; partly soluble in aromatics	Resistant	Resistant	Soluble in aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbons
Gas Permeability of Thin Wall Products**	O₂	Low	High	High	Very low	Very low	---	Very low
	N₂	Very low	Low	Low	Very low	Very low	---	Very low
	CO₂	High	Very high/td>	Very high	Low	---	---	Low

Portions of this table courtesy of Modern Plastics Encyclopedia. Most data are from tests by A.S.T.M. methods. Tables show averages or ranges. Many properties vary with manufacturer, formulation, testing laboratory, and the specific operating conditions.

*TEFLON is a registered trademark of the DuPont Co. **Obtained from a table which lists gas permeability in CC/100 sq. inches per 24 hrs./mil.

return to top