Understanding the various uses of plastic storage tanks
In the past, storage tanks have been manufactured in a variety of materials such as fiber glass and steel. These days many tanks are now made from plastic. Modern plastics are very tough and can often match if not exceed the life span of those tanks made from other materials. Because of this, the maintenance costs can be virtually non-existent.
A very good reason to substitute plastic for other common materials in the production of storage tanks is that it is very light weight in comparison. This means greater ease of transport, positioning and handling all of which will accrue lower costs. The old style fiber glass types were heavy and environmentally unfriendly. In addition, plastic storage tanks are less likely to react with certain types of substances stored in them which could ultimately result in toxic fumes being diffused into the atmosphere. For these reasons alone plastic storage tanks tend to be the best choice for storing chemicals such as bleach, acid and chlorine and also just plain old water.
One of the most significant advantages for using storage tanks made from plastic are the lower costs that are involved. Tanks made from polyethylene, which is the most commonly used plastic, are considerably less expensive to buy and deliver than most of the alternatives. Steel tanks tend to be a lot more costly to manufacture.
Polyethylene is the most common plastic used to produce plastic storage tanks but there are other types of plastics used also. Polyethylene can come in different grades to ensure that it is suitable for as many substances as possible and this material is reliable, strong and durable over long periods of time. However there are a few chemicals that do not store well in polyethylene so more suitable plastics would be kynar or polypropylene.
Plastic storage tanks come in different thicknesses. When considering a tank you need to be aware of which substance you will be storing within it to ensure you purchase one which will be the most reliable, suitable and cost effective. For more corrosive substances, the thickness might be very important. Each tank comes with ‘specific gravity’ rating. This rating indicates the type of material that the tank is designed to store. So in other words, the higher the rating, the stronger the tank is and usually the cost.
Plastic storage tanks can be used for a variety of applications. Some of the different tanks available include water tanks, holding tanks, industrial storage tanks, secondary containment tanks, sulfuric acid tanks and chemical storage tanks. The latter usually have a higher ‘specific gravity’ rating specifically designed to hold toxic or harmful chemicals safely. Secondary containment tanks are necessary to help contain chemical spills and leaks. Some of these plastic tanks have been specially designed to be placed either above or below ground making them extremely versatile. These tanks are substantially strong and durable, necessary if they are being placed underground.
Basically, plastic storage tanks are manufactured in many different shapes and sizes depending on their purpose. Some of these variations include horizontal tanks or vertical cylinders; flat, cone, dish or slope bottomed and open or closed tops. The larger tanks tend to be vertically cylindrical. So do you n=know exactly what you need?
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