CORROSION AND

MATERIAL SELECTION
(NON-METALLICS)

Topics:
Polymers
Thermoplastics
Thermosets
Rubber
Ceramics
Carbon and Graphite
Woods

Polymers
Polymers provide an increasing number of materials
that can be used for corrosion protection.
They are used as protective coatings, lining and for
structural applications.
They compete favourably with metals in terms of cost,
structural properties and service life.
There are three classes of polymers: thermoplastics,
thermosets and reinforced plastics.

 Thermoplastics become soft at high temperature and

return to original strength and hardness upon cooling.
Examples of thermoplastics: PVC, PE, PS, PP and
nylon.
Thermosets react and harden when heated; they retain
the hardness when cooled and cannot be re-worked.
Examples of thermosets: Acrylics, epoxies and
polyesters.
Fibre-reinforced plastics (FRPs) are composites of
fibres and either themoplastics or thermosets.
Examples: glass fibre storage tanks, panels, pipes.

 Environments that affect polymers include:

Moisture and humidity.

Elevated temperature.
Impact load and creep.
Ultraviolet exposure.
Solvents.
Chemicals.

Environmental resistance of plastics and metals are

complementary. (e.g. Metals are resistant to organic
solvents that attack plastics and plastics are resistant to
many acids that attack metals).

 Plastics can be dissolved in, chemically react with or

absorb a chemical agent.
The most common forms of degradation are swelling,
dissolution and bond rupture.
In the presence of chemicals and under the influence of
stress, plastics can fail by environmental stress
cracking. For example, detergents and oils can cause
this failure in PE.

 Thermoplastics.
Fluorocarbons.
PTFE has superior corrosion resistance and low coefficient of
friction.
Used as seals, gaskets, valve diaphragms, coatings, expansion
joints, etc.

Nylons.
Has high strength, low coefficient of friction and wear
resistance.
Used as gears, electrical insulation, etc.

Polyethylenes.
UHMWPE exhibits very good corrosion resistance.
Used as lining in valves and pumps.

 Polypropylene.
Exhibits better heat and corrosion resistance than PE.
Used as valves and pipe fittings.

Polystyrene.
Possess good chemical resistance but too brittle for many
structural applications.
Shows good resistance to HCl acid.

Polyvinyl chloride.
A rigid material but can be softened by additions of
plasticizers to vary mechanical properties.
Used for pipes and pipe fittings, fans, linings.

 Thermosets.
Epoxies.
Best combination of corrosion resistance and mechanical
properties.
Used as valves, pumps, small tanks, linings and protective
coatings.

Polyesters.
Poor corrosion resistance compared to other thermosets.
Used as reinforcing material.

Silicones.
Resistance to chemical attack is fair but offer outstanding
heat resistance.
Used as insulation for electrical motors and equipment.

Rubbers
Rubbers and elastomers have wide applications
because of their flexibility, good chemical and
abrasion resistance and good insulating properties.
Natural rubbers have better mechanical properties than
synthetic rubbers but the synthetics have better
corrosion resistance.

 Natural rubber.
Soft rubbers have temperature limitation up to 160oF.
Harder rubbers are obtained by alloying
(compounding) with sulphur to withstand higher
temperatures.
Corrosion resistance usually increases with hardness.
Used as lining for pipes and tanks.

 Synthethic rubber.
Example: Neoprene, nitrile rubbers, rubbers mixed
with plastics.
Neoprene and nitrile rubbers possess good resistance to
oils and gasoline. Neoprene-lined vessels can handle
strong sodium hydroxide.
Butyl rubber is impermeable to gases; used as seals for
storage tanks. It is exhibits better resistance to
oxidizing environments such as air and dilute nitric
acid.
Softer rubbers are suitable for use in abrasion resistant
applications compared to hard rubbers.

Ceramics
Ceramic materials consist of compounds of metallic
and non-metallic elements.
Example: MgO, fused silica, glass, clay, high
temperature refractories.
Ceramics can resist higher temperatures, have better
corrosion, abrasion and erosion corrosion resistance,
and better insulators compared to metals.
But, ceramics are more brittle, weaker in tension and
subject to thermal shock.

 Concrete is generally stable but contains calcium

hydroxide and calcium aluminate which is attacked by
sulphates present in ground water.
Concrete is also porous, which allows water to
penetrate and cause spalling or cracking.
Alumina corrodes in concentrated alkalis,
concentrated H3PO4 and other concentrated acids.
Glass corrodes in HF and concentrated alkalis. It is
also affected by temperature changes.
Enamels comprise of silicate and borosilicate glass,
which are highly corrosion resistant and used to
protect steel and cast iron substrates.

 Steels used in enamelware require low carbon content,

as carbon reacts with molten oxides in enamel to form
gas and causes blistering.
Chromium oxide bonds to glass and can be used to
repair fractured glass linings. It resists erosion and
abrasion.
Tungsten carbide is used in wear applications. It
resists strong bases (NaOH and KOH) but is attacked
by strong acids (H2SO4 and HNO3).
Silicon carbide resists both strong acid and strong
bases.

Carbon and Graphite

Good conductors of heat and electricity, excellent
thermal shock resistance, high temperature resistance,
inert to many corrosion environments but weak and
brittle compared to metals. Abrasion resistance is also
poor.
Carbon exhibits good resistance to alkalis and most
acids, except oxidizing acids. Fluorine, iodine,
bromine, chlorine are likely to attack carbon.
Graphite is used in applications involving HF and
HCl, as well as impressed current anodes in cathodic
protection systems.

Wood
Wood is limited to water and dilute chemicals.
Strong acids, oxidizing acids, and dilute alkalis attack
woods.
Also subject to biological attack. Impregnation with
waxes and plastics help to reduce chemical and
biological attack.
Wood is commonly used for water cooling towers.
Cypress, pine, oak and redwood are the main woods
used for corrosion applications.

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