Chemical Resistance Chart for Common Filaments

This screening table summarizes room-temperature chemical compatibility trends for common FDM filaments; printed-part geometry, exposure time, temperature, and mechanical stress can move a material up or down one level.

Filament	Water	Alcohols (Ethanol / IPA)	Acetone / Ketones	Coolants / Glycols	Weak Acids	Oxidizers / Bleach	Oils / Fuels	Best Fit
PLA	Conditional	Poor to Conditional	Poor	Poor	Conditional	Conditional	Verify Grade	Dry indoor parts, display pieces, low-chemical tools
PETG	Good	Conditional	Poor	Conditional	Good	Conditional	Verify Grade	General utility parts with light chemical contact
ABS	Good	Conditional	Poor	Good	Good	Conditional	Good	Workshop parts away from ketones and aromatic solvents
ASA	Good	Conditional	Poor	Good	Good	Good	Conditional	Outdoor parts, housings, light industrial use
TPU	Good	Conditional	Poor	Conditional	Conditional	Conditional	Good	Seals, bumpers, flexible parts with oil or grease contact
Nylon / PA	Conditional	Conditional to Good	Conditional	Conditional to Good	Conditional	Good	Good	Wear parts, bushings, fuel-and-oil-adjacent parts
PC	Good	Conditional	Poor	Conditional	Good	Good	Conditional	High-heat functional parts with mild chemical exposure
PP	Excellent	Excellent	Good to Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good to Excellent	Excellent	Lab parts, containers, fluid-contact parts, harsh environments

Chemical resistance is not a single property. A printed part can keep its shape and still lose strength, or it can look fine while the surface has already softened, swelled, or started to craze. That is why good chemical screening always asks four questions first: what liquid, how long, at what temperature, and whether the part is under load.[a]

For FDM parts, that last point matters more than many buyers expect. Layer lines, small voids, residual stress around corners, and low wall thickness can make a printed object fail earlier than a raw-polymer datasheet suggests. So this chart should be used as a selection filter, not as a blind guarantee.

🧪 What The Ratings Mean

Most real tests do not stop at “resistant” or “not resistant.” They look for change in mass, dimensions, color, surface condition, tensile strength, and impact strength after contact or immersion. That is the right way to read 3D-print filament behavior too.[b]

• Excellent: usually a strong first choice for repeated room-temperature contact.
• Good: generally suitable, but still verify brand and temperature.
• Conditional: usable for wipes, splashes, or short cycles; long soaking or stress can change the outcome fast.
• Poor: not a smart default for that chemical family.
• Verify Grade: the polymer family does not give a clean universal answer; the exact blend, filler, and additive package matter.

Can Isopropyl Alcohol Weaken 3D Printed Parts?

Yes. Even when a part does not instantly melt or crack, IPA can still reduce retained strength and toughness over time. The effect is mild on some materials and severe on others. PLA is one of the least forgiving choices here, while PP stays much more stable. PETG and ASA usually sit in the middle.

Why Printed Parts Behave Differently From Raw Resin

1. Layer interfaces are easy entry paths for liquids.
2. Residual stress around holes, corners, and threads can trigger crazing sooner.
3. Infill patterns can trap liquid and increase dwell time.
4. Surface area is larger on rough prints than on molded parts.
5. Moisture content before printing changes layer bonding, especially for nylon and TPU.

🔬 Common Filaments and Their Chemical Behavior

PLA

PLA is easy to print, dimensionally neat, and popular for general-purpose work. It is not a chemical-use default. NatureWorks’ solvent study shows that PLA behavior changes a lot with crystallinity and solvent choice, and Prusament’s immersion testing shows fast damage in acetone plus clear property loss in more aggressive liquids.[c]

• Water contact is usually manageable in the short term.
• IPA and ethanol are risky for long soaking.
• Ethylene-glycol-based coolant can reduce strength quickly.
• Acetone is a bad match.
• Use PLA where chemical exposure is low and replacement cost is low.

PETG

PETG is often the first step up from PLA for light chemical contact. It holds up well in water and can be workable around weak acids and ordinary shop contact, but it is far from universal. Prusament’s test results show that water leaves PETG relatively stable, while IPA, vinegar, glycol-based coolant, and acetone can reduce toughness or strength with longer exposure.[d]

• Better than PLA for mixed-use utility parts.
• Fine for many splash and wipe situations.
• Not the right choice for acetone-rich environments.
• Still test if the part carries load while wet.

ABS

ABS is still useful when you want heat resistance, decent oil-and-fuel-adjacent behavior, and easy post-processing. The tradeoff is solvent sensitivity. Acetone smoothing works because acetone attacks ABS, and strong organic solvent exposure can move from surface softening to real loss of part integrity very quickly.[e]

• Good around water and many mild workshop liquids.
• Often workable with oils and some fuels.
• Poor choice for acetone, MEK-like chemistry, and many aggressive solvent blends.
• Use cautiously where the part is under constant stress.

ASA

ASA behaves like the more weather-ready cousin of ABS. In 3D-print use, that matters because chemical exposure and outdoor service often happen together. Prusament’s data shows ASA stays stable in water, citric-acid solution, coolant, and diluted bleach-like cleaner much better than many people expect, while alcohol exposure causes more loss and acetone remains a no-go.[f]

• Very sensible for outdoor utility parts that may get cleaned, splashed, or washed.
• Safer than PLA and usually safer than PETG in mixed weather-plus-chemical use.
• Still not compatible with acetone.

TPU

TPU is often described as chemically resistant, and that is broadly true for oils, greases, and many service fluids. But TPU needs nuance. BASF notes that Elastollan TPU is resistant to short contact with dilute acids and alkalis, stays strong in lubricating oils and greases, yet can swell in ethanol or isopropanol and is not suited for long-term use in ketones such as acetone and MEK.[g]

• Great around oils and greases.
• Often good for seals, feet, soft covers, and flexible contact parts.
• Alcohols can cause swelling.
• Acetone and stronger polar solvents are poor matches.
• Grade matters a lot: ester-based and ether-based TPU do not age the same way.

Nylon / PA

Nylon is a strong option when the job includes wear, oil, or fuel contact. Ensinger lists PA 6 grades as resistant to many oils, greases, and fuels, while Prusa notes that printed nylon is hygroscopic and can absorb a lot of moisture if stored badly. That combination is the nylon story in one line: good chemical utility, but moisture discipline matters.[h]

• Usually a smart pick for bushings, clips, gears, and mechanical wear parts.
• Handles many oils and fuels well.
• Can swell from absorbed moisture or solvent uptake.
• Warm water and poor drying can change dimensions and print quality.

PC

PC brings high heat resistance and strong toughness, which is why it stays on shortlists for demanding functional prints. In chemical use, it is more selective than PP and often more selective than many buyers expect. A 2025 comparative immersion study found PC stable in milder conditions but much weaker in solvent-rich media, especially acetone.[i]

• Good for water, some weak acids, and some oxidizer exposure.
• Not a safe default for ketones.
• Watch for stress cracking in loaded transparent or thin-wall parts.

PP

PP is the standout material here. Across official 3D-print material guidance, industrial compatibility charts, and recent side-by-side immersion data, PP keeps coming out on top. Prusa describes PP as a chemically resistant material used for lab equipment and fluid containers, while recent comparative testing found it retained 93–100% of its mechanical properties across all tested chemicals.[j]

• Best first candidate for chemical-contact FDM parts.
• Excellent around water, alcohols, dilute acids, many bases, coolants, and many fuels.
• Its weak point is not chemistry. It is printing difficulty and bed adhesion.

🧫 How Each Chemical Family Tends to Behave

Water and Humidity

Cold or room-temperature water is usually the least destructive liquid in ordinary hobby and light industrial use. That does not mean “no effect.” Nylon absorbs moisture readily, TPU can change with swelling, and PLA can lose some properties with time. Warm water is another story. Industrial compatibility charts often show a clear drop from cold-water performance to warm-water performance for several polymers, especially more moisture-sensitive ones.[k]

IPA and Ethanol

Alcohols are a classic trap. Many makers assume that if a filament survives a fast wipe with IPA, it is “alcohol safe.” That shortcut fails often. Alcohol wipes, alcohol mist, and alcohol soaking are three different exposure modes. PETG, ASA, TPU, and PC can often handle incidental cleaning better than PLA, but long exposure can still lower retained strength.

Acetone and Other Ketones

This is where many common filaments separate fast. PLA can collapse, ABS and ASA are attacked directly, PETG loses stiffness and surface quality, PC drops hard, and TPU is not suited for long-term ketone service. PP stays the safest common FDM choice by a wide margin.

Acids, Bases, and Oxidizers

Weak acids and dilute cleaners are often manageable for PETG, ASA, PC, ABS, and PP. Strong acids, strong bases, and strong oxidizers are much less forgiving. BASF’s TPU data is a good reminder here: TPU resists short contact with dilute acids or alkalis, but concentrated acids and alkaline solutions should be avoided. The same “dilute versus concentrated” rule applies across many polymers.

Oils, Greases, Fuels, and Coolants

Nylon, TPU, ABS, and especially PP tend to be the names that show up most often in this part of the chart. Coolants are less predictable than oils because glycol systems can also carry additives. That is why coolant exposure should never be reduced to “glycol only”. If the part lives in a car, pump, lab, or shop machine, test the actual fluid, not just the base chemistry.

Is PETG More Chemically Resistant Than PLA?

Usually yes. PETG is the safer general pick when the part may see water, weak acids, or ordinary cleaning contact. It is still not a solvent-proof engineering plastic. If the environment includes long alcohol soaking, ketones, or strong oxidizers, PP or a higher-end material is the better starting point.

⚙️ Print Variables That Change Chemical Resistance

This table shows which print and part variables most often change real chemical durability in FDM parts.

Variable	What It Changes	Why It Matters
Wall Count	Barrier thickness	More solid perimeters usually slow liquid ingress.
Layer Fusion	Interlayer leakage paths	Poor bonding gives chemicals an easier path into the part.
Infill Type	Internal void geometry	Open patterns can trap liquid and keep it inside longer.
Dry Filament	Print density and bonding	Wet nylon or TPU often prints with weaker interfaces.
Stress State	Crazing and crack growth	A loaded part may fail even when an unloaded coupon looks fine.
Temperature	Diffusion rate	Warm chemicals usually attack faster than cool ones.
Blend / Filler	Brand-specific behavior	CF, GF, impact modifiers, pigments, and plasticizers can shift results.

The biggest gap in many online filament charts is that they treat a printed part like a molded plaque. That shortcut misses environmental stress cracking, which is often driven by the combined effect of solvent contact and part stress, not chemistry alone.[l]

Does Water Damage PLA or Nylon?

Not in the same way. PLA is less moisture-hungry than nylon, but it is still a poor choice when long-term chemical durability matters. Nylon often survives service better, yet it can absorb much more moisture and shift mechanically or dimensionally if storage and drying are sloppy. One material loses margin mainly from chemistry. The other loses margin mainly from moisture uptake and process control.

🧭 Choosing The Right Filament for Chemical Contact

1. For general lab fixtures and fluid-contact utility parts: start with PP.
2. For outdoor parts that also meet cleaners, rain, and coolant splash: try ASA.
3. For a simple upgrade from PLA in light mixed-use parts: PETG is the usual next step.
4. For soft contact parts, bumpers, and flexible seals: TPU is often right, but check alcohol and ketone exposure first.
5. For wear parts around oils or fuels: nylon is often better than PETG and PLA.
6. For heat plus moderate chemical contact: PC is useful, but not as a ketone-safe material.

Which Filament Is Best for Lab Equipment?

For common FDM choices, PP is the safest first answer. It is light, chemically strong, and consistently stable in room-temperature exposure testing. PETG can work for lighter-duty lab jigs and holders. Nylon is useful for wear parts. PLA should stay out of any design where the chemical side matters.

When You Should Always Print Test Coupons

• The chemical is warm.
• The liquid contains additives, fragrance, dyes, or mixed solvents.
• The part is threaded, bolted, or clamped.
• The part must stay dimensionally exact.
• The part sees daily cleaning cycles.
• The exact filament brand uses fillers or “toughened” modifiers.

❓ FAQ

📚 Sources

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