Is the Reactor-Ready range resistant to acids?

Summary
  • In general, Reactor-Ready is suitable for use with acids, but it is each customer’s responsibility to assess their particular application, carefully considering any risks.
  • Reactor-Ready has been specially designed to be robust and to have a reduced risk of leaking compared to other systems, but no equipment is indestructible, and safe working practices must be adhered to, with the Reactor-Ready carefully maintained, to minimise the risk of leaking/corrosion.
Materials of parts expected to come into contact with chemicals (‘wetted parts’)
  • We manufacture our vessels and other glass accessories from borosilicate glass 3.3.
  • The piston (bottom outlet valve tap) in a Reactor-Ready system is PTFE and glass-filled PTFE, with FEP-encapsulated O-rings.
  • The O-ring between the vessel and lid is also FEP-encapsulated, and is held in place by a PTFE support collar.
  • The stirrers and Pt100 probes are PTFE-coated also.
  • The main body of the stirrer guide is made of PTFE too, with borosilicate glass and PEEK/PTFE parts.
Acid resistance of wetted parts
  • Borosilicate glass 3.3, PTFE and FEP all have excellent acid resistance.
  • We have a technical data sheet on the borosilicate glass; you can download this from our Technical Information Downloads web page.
  • For PTFE and FEP, you can double check compatibility with your particular acids using chemical resistance tables/data available online.
System maintenance and safe working practices
  • Although our systems have good chemical resistance, it’s important to regularly check the condition of all parts (particularly seals such as O-rings) – these can be damaged in other ways, such as scratching by chemical particles, wearing by moving parts, or being made brittle through exposure to extreme low temperatures.
  • We recommend you purchase the relevant maintenance kit (part number RR121150 for standard Reactor-Ready or order two for Reactor-Ready Duo; the part number is RR210100 for Reactor-Ready Pilot), as this contains the common consumables – so you can replace items as soon as any deterioration is observed, to help avoid leaks or downtime.
  • If you look after your reaction system (maintaining good sealing), you can minimise the escape of chemical vapours that could then damage less chemically resistant parts (e.g. the stirrer drop-in coupling made from stainless steel).
  • Always wipe away any chemical spills immediately and avoid exposure of Reactor-Ready systems to strong vapours such as HCl, as continued exposure to even low levels of chemicals can cause corrosion to metal and/or plastic components.