About HDPE high-density polyethylene
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Help, fellow sailors. Can HDPE, high-density polyethylene, withstand 98% concentrated sulfuric acid? If so, could you provide data or examples to support it?
I’ve never used it; HDPE is generally used for drainage pipes. Can’t concentrated sulfuric acid with a concentration of over 98% be handled using carbon steel directly?
I chose carbon steel from the very beginning, but my supervisor thought it was too expensive. A manufacturer of plastic containers told the supervisor that HDPE material could be used for sulfuric acid storage tanks, and as a result he rejected my proposal. That’s why I’m asking
Ask the manufacturer to provide the standards. In the design manual, it states that polyethylene pipes can be used for sulfuric acid at room temperature within the range of 0-57%, but there is no information regarding higher concentrations; it seems that such conditions are not suitable for using polyethylene pipes.
For 98% concentrated sulfuric acid, I also checked the design manual; the manufacturer only provided a data table with plus and minus signs, which has no practical significance.
It seems there’s not much hope for solving this problem either
I checked the manual; polyethylene cannot withstand concentrated sulfuric acid, and many plastics cannot tolerate it either. Only PVC and fluoroplastics perform better in this regard
98% – the temperature is not high, so carbon steel is sufficient
Sulfuric acid is still a hazardous chemical, and there are certain regulations regarding it. HDPE has poor strength, and there’s no way to cut costs!