For many industries and facilities, oxygen is bad news for some chemicals stored in tank systems. Often, when the storage material comes in contact with oxygen, the substance oxidizes and degrades, or it can dry out. In any scenario, coming into contact with oxygen means you’ve lost product — which translates to less revenue and costs of replacement.

Tank blanketing helps prevent contact with oxygen, and Poly Processing is your partner for protecting your stored materials.

Poly Processing is a leader in building innovative solutions to complex chemical storage challenges. Far beyond simple plastic tanks, we have developed a fleet of products that address specific needs of chemical storage. The result for your business is ensured safety, easy tank maintenance, and extended tank longevity.

Bulk stored chemicals can become contaminated from two major sources: debris and moisture. As the product is emptied from the chemical storage tank, dirty air and moisture can be drawn into the tank. Temperature fluctuations can also cause the tank to expand and contract, so that it “breathes” contaminants in and out.

Maintaining chemical purity is essential in many industrial chemical applications, such as computer chip manufacturing, food processing, clean in place, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Contaminated chemicals can become less effective, and more hazardous to your storage equipment. 

To prevent contamination, Poly Processing often recommends installing special accessories. Tank vent dryers and desiccant filters may be your best choice for keeping moisture out of the chemical storage tank.

Tank vent dryers can be especially valuable if you’re storing sulfuric acid. Because concentrated sulfuric acid is hygroscopic, any moisture entering the tank will be quickly absorbed into the chemical. If your supply of sulfuric acid isn’t frequently replenished, the top layer of acid will become more diluted, and more corrosive. As the contents continue to sit in the tank, the top layer of weak acid will corrode a ring around the inner tank wall.

Maintaining the proper temperature of a chemical is often critical to safe storage. For example, sodium hydroxide at a 50 percent concentration will start to crystallize at or below temperatures of 60 degrees. For polyethylene chemical storage tanks, heating pads and insulation can maintain the specific temperature of the chemical you’re storing—even when your chemical tank is exposed to low air temperatures.

We get a lot of questions about the standard testing on chemical storage tanks that we do at our facility. Vertical tanks larger than 500 gallons are extensively tested to ensure that they meet ASTM standards. Depending on customers’ needs, we also offer additional testing on our chemical storage tank systems.

Environmental stress cracking occurs when microscopic cracks form in polyethylene tanks as a result of storing aggressive chemicals. Over time, these imperceptible cracks combine to form larger cracks, which can lead to leaks or even tank failure. If cracks occur, it’s recommended that you replace the polyethylene tank.

Winter is approaching fast. With below freezing temperatures and snowstorms affecting millions of people each year, municipalities need to be ready to clear roadways and maintain equipment. De-icing fluid is used to break down ice and frost on roadway surfaces and aircraft.

The substance used for de-icing depends on its application, the amount of snowfall, the municipality’s preferences, and winter temperatures. A variety of chemicals are used in the de-icing process, including brine, magnesium chloride, propylene glycol, and ethylene glycol. Brine is the most popular of these chemicals, but it can damage vehicles or rebar on roadways.

When designing your chemical storage tank, it’s vital to consider the chemical you’re storing before any other factor. This information allows the manufacturer to determine what material to use, what types of fittings and accessories are needed, and whether or not the tank needs an antioxidant system or other special considerations.

Not all high-density polyethylene tanks are created equal. Although they sound nearly identical, linear polyethylene and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) chemical storage tanks have significant differences. Those differences could impact your organization’s bottom line, your people’s safety, and the operations of your facility.

As industries develop innovative solutions to problems, many companies need polyethylene products that aren’t being produced by manufacturers. These organizations turn to specialists to design custom-built solutions.