Chemical compatibility: matching the can to the liquid

The container fails when the material meets a liquid it cannot handle. This guide matches the four materials we build in against the liquids buyers ask about. Treat it as a starting point, and confirm your exact liquid, its concentration and its temperature before you order.

The four materials, in one line each

Galvanized or coated steel — hydrocarbon fuels. The zinc coating resists corrosion but reacts with acids and alkalis, and steel is not for food or drinking water.
Stainless steel, AISI 304 — potable water, food-grade liquids and oils. Food-safe, cleanable, reusable. Not for strong acids such as concentrated hydrochloric acid.
HDPE — a wide range of industrial chemicals, acids and alkalis, subject to a compatibility check. Fuel grades need fluorination to control permeation. Some grades are food-grade.
アルミ — light fuels where weight is the priority. Not for acids or general chemicals.

Material against liquid class

Yes means generally suitable. Check means it depends on the specific liquid, concentration and temperature, so ask us for a compatibility check. No means the wrong material.

Liquid class	Galv. steel	Stainless 304	HDPE	アルミ
Petrol, diesel, kerosene, JP-08	Yes	Yes	Fluorinated	Yes
Potable water, food liquids	No	Yes	Food-grade only	No
Engine and lubricating oils	Check	Yes	Yes	Check
Acids and alkalis	No	Check	Check	No
Solvents and coatings	Check	Check	Check	No
DEF / AdBlue (urea)	No	Check	Dedicated DEF	No

Why permeation and reaction matter

Two failure modes drive most of this table. Reaction: acids and alkalis attack the zinc on galvanized steel and can pit some metals, so the aggressive-chemical column belongs to plastic and, for milder cases, stainless. Permeation: hydrocarbons migrate slowly through untreated plastic, which loses product and breaches fuel-emissions rules, so a plastic fuel can is fluorinated and a steel can is not.

What a compatibility check needs from you

Send us the exact liquid by name, its concentration, its temperature in service, and how long it will sit in the container. With those four facts we confirm the material, the closure and any interior treatment, or we tell you plainly that we do not have a safe option.

Where this maps to our range

Fuels sit in the fuel and gas cans range, water and food in the water and food-grade range, and chemicals in the industrial and chemical range. This guide is general information, not a warranty of fitness for a specific use.