Is it true that an advantage of using plastic in an industrial process is that it will not affect other materials?

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Depends on the process
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (B)

Material compatibility and inertness are the underlying ideas here. When a plastic is carefully chosen for a given process, it can act as a nonreactive barrier between the process media and other materials in the system. In those cases, the plastic resists the chemical interactions that could cause corrosion, contamination, or unwanted reactions, so it doesn’t affect the surrounding materials. This is why, under appropriate conditions, plastics can be considered an advantage for not disturbing other components. Of course, it isn’t universal: different media, temperatures, and pressures can cause some plastics to swell, leach additives, or degrade, so the suitability depends on the specific process and polymer.