Corrosive chemical processing covers manufacturing involving substances that are both a physical and health hazard - capable of damaging metal equipment as well as skin and other tissue. This requires specific materials of construction and handling procedures beyond standard chemical manufacturing.
Key points
- Corrosive substances are classified under COSHH and the GB CLP Regulation as both a physical hazard (to equipment) and a health hazard (to people).
- Equipment materials of construction must be compatible with the specific corrosive chemistry - not all metals or plastics resist all corrosive substances.
- Glass-lined reactors are commonly used for strongly corrosive or acidic processes where standard stainless steel would degrade.
- COSHH requires risk assessment and exposure control measures specific to the corrosive substances being handled.
What This Capability Involves
A manufacturer with corrosive chemical processing capability has equipment built from materials compatible with the specific acids, alkalis or other corrosive chemistry involved, appropriate personal protective equipment and handling procedures, and COSHH risk assessments covering the corrosive substances in use.
When You Need This Capability
You need a manufacturer with this capability if your formulation involves strong acids, alkalis or other corrosive chemistry - relevant across sectors including cleaning chemicals, water-treatment chemicals and mining and mineral-processing chemicals.
Regulatory Considerations
COSHH classifies corrosive substances as both a physical hazard to equipment and a health hazard to people, requiring specific risk assessment and control measures. A manufacturer should be able to explain their materials of construction choices for your specific corrosive chemistry, and their approach to protecting staff during handling and processing.
Compatibility Across the Whole System
Corrosive capability is largely a question of materials of construction, and it applies to the entire system rather than the vessel alone. Pipework, pumps, valves, seals and gaskets all contact the product, and the weakest component determines what the plant can actually handle. Seals are the most frequent point of failure because they are the easiest to overlook.
Different corrosives require different answers. Stainless steel handles many materials well but is vulnerable to chlorides and strong acids; glass-lined equipment resists aggressive acids but is sensitive to thermal shock and mechanical damage; specialist alloys and plastic-lined systems cover other cases. A site set up for one is not automatically suitable for another.
Product Quality as Well as Plant Integrity
Corrosion has two consequences and buyers usually think only of the first. Damage to the plant is the obvious one. The second is contamination: material dissolving from equipment enters the batch, and trace metal pickup can cause discolouration, catalyse degradation or breach a purity specification even where the vessel itself is not visibly harmed.
If your product is sensitive to metal contamination, raise it explicitly rather than relying on the manufacturer inferring it from the corrosivity discussion - the controls that protect plant are not always the same as those that protect product purity. See chelating agents for how trace metals are managed in formulation.
Questions to Ask a Manufacturer
- What materials of construction do you use for our specific corrosive chemistry?
- Do you have glass-lined or other corrosion-resistant reactor capacity if our process requires it?
- What COSHH risk assessment and PPE provisions do you have for this substance category?
- How do you manage equipment maintenance and inspection given corrosive wear?
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Does standard stainless steel resist all corrosive chemicals?
No - even corrosion-resistant grades like 316L stainless steel can be attacked by certain acids and chlorides. See stainless-steel reactors and glass-lined reactors for how manufacturers match equipment to specific chemistries.
Is corrosive processing capability the same as hazardous chemical manufacturing?
There's overlap, since corrosive substances are one category of hazardous substance under COSHH, but corrosive processing specifically implies equipment and materials suited to substances that damage metal and skin - see hazardous chemical manufacturing for the broader category.
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Search the DirectoryLast reviewed: August 2026. Regulation and guidance change — verify anything you rely on against the primary source. Tell us if something here is out of date.