Most of the chemical storage tanks that we sell are vertical tanks, IMFO Tanks®, and SAFE-Tanks®. However, we offer several other options to customers. Vertical tanks aren’t the best solution for every circumstance, and sometimes your best option may be a horizontal tank. Let’s look into the three main reasons polyethylene horizontal chemical tanks are a key part of a storage solution and then expand on the use of these tanks in their most popular industry: agriculture.
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Applications
Sulfuric acid is one of the most widely used chemicals in the United States. More sulfuric acid is produced every year than any other chemical. It has a multitude of industry-specific uses, such as the production of other chemicals, dyes and pigments, water treatment, and fertilizers. This heavy, corrosive chemical requires a specifically designed storage system. That’s why Poly Processing follows guidelines that help ensure safety and enhanced useful tank life.
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Applications
Properly treating wastewater is an important, but often misunderstood process. If wastewater isn’t treated correctly, it can be extremely harmful to our environment, including the people and animals that live in it. There are several different elements involved in treating wastewater, including physical treatment that removes particles and debris. However, the chemical treatment of wastewater is especially important. Let’s take a look at the most important things you should know about chemically treating wastewater — including the most common chemicals and the best practices for storing these chemicals.
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Applications
Once your food production facility outgrows your 300-gallon totes, it’s time to look into larger storage tanks for food storage and clean-in-place chemicals. There are several options on the market to choose from, but you’ll need to consider which storage tank can meet your greatest challenges: FDA requirements, full-drain capabilities, and cost-effectiveness.
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Applications
Can you name one of the most common things companies forget to consider when purchasing a tank? Surprisingly, many operations don’t consider how they will fully discharge / drain their tanks before they make a purchase. It’s not until afterward that they realize the need to find a solution. However, this decision should be made in advance because it is a critical part of tank maintenance and chemical purity processes.
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Applications
Poly Processing Company invites you to visit us at booth #2820 at WEFTEC 2023, October 2-4 in Chicago, IL.
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News and Customer Stories
It’s common for wastewater treatment plants to rely on cross-linked polyethylene chemical tanks, but many municipal water treatment plants are using inferior linear polyethylene or fiberglass tanks. While the short-term benefits are tempting, using linear polyethylene or fiberglass tanks can be like pouring money down the drain. Instead, Poly Processing’s cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) tanks give you better performance, greater cost-effectiveness, longer useful life, and more innovative solutions.
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Applications
Water and oxygen can degrade some chemicals, so it may be necessary to create a protective barrier that keeps air and water moisture away from the chemical you’re storing. A nitrogen blanket can help increase the life of your chemicals. Tank blanketing, or tank padding, describes the process of applying an inert gas to the vapor space (or unused space) that exists above the chemical inside a storage tank. Tank blanketing is mainly used to add a layer of gas (usually nitrogen) to keep air or moisture from a chemical inside the tank.
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Applications
Wastewater treatment involves several key components: physical treatment (i.e. screening and filtering processes), biological treatment (i.e. oxidation ponds and lagoons), and chemicals. The chemicals required for the water treatment process must be used more aggressively and in larger quantities for wastewater than municipal drinking water. As such, safe, proper storage for wastewater treatment chemicals is critical.
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Applications
Reliably knowing the level of the liquid in your chemical storage tank is critical to maintaining your operations without interruption. Not only is the level an indicator for ordering more chemicals, but certain chemicals have to be stored at a specific level to maintain their properties or operational requirements. A level gauge monitors the liquid level of the chemical you’re storing in your polyethylene chemical tank. There are several types of level gauges, including clear tube level gauges and ultrasonic level gauges. While Poly Processing can provide a variety of level indicators, we almost always recommend our reverse float gauge.
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Fittings and Accessories
Secondary containment systems — a.k.a a tank within a tank — are recommended safeguards that can prevent costly damage to equipment and risk to employees in the event of a leak or failure of the primary storage vessel. There are several secondary containment options with varying costs available to tank owners. Let’s compare a traditional permanent concrete structure to a sophisticated, integrated double-wall tank containment system. The cost analysis may surprise you.
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Value Added
When storing flammable chemicals, it’s important to follow proper safety protocols to protect your equipment and your personnel. In light of these precautions, Poly Processing customers sometimes ask us about how to ground our chemical storage tanks. They want to ensure that no chemicals or vapors ignite if there’s a spark. In the case of Poly Processing tanks, no grounding is necessary — and in fact, they can’t be grounded. Let’s unpack why that’s the case.
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Value Added
Chemicals stored in polyethylene tanks always require venting. Depending on the chemical you’re storing, the harmful fumes emitted from the storage tank can’t be directly released into the atmosphere. To reduce the harmful fumes before they evacuate the system and to control air pollution, fume scrubbers need to be installed.
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Venting,
Fittings and Accessories,
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
Ferrics, alums and polymers are commonly used to treat water and wastewater. There are several reasons why these substances require specialized storage: Separation, settling and coagulation are major issues with these chemicals – and those conditions can be compounded by temperature variations. Settling and separation issues can lead to difficulty in pumping the chemicals.
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Chemicals
Whether you're storing dangerous chemicals or common food-grade materials, reliability of structural integrity is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a tank.
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Value Added
Sulfuric acid can be a tricky chemical to store. Used in a wide variety of industrial applications, sulfuric acid is heavy, can create toxic or flammable gas, and can burn the skin. A smart storage solution for sulfuric acid should start with a well-thought-out tank design — not just the tank material but the entire storage system and all its components. Thinking through the entire sulfuric acid tank system design up front will help you protect your employees, the environment, and your investment. Read on for our recommendations on the right material, configuration, and standards for safe sulfuric acid storage.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Chemical Storage
Poly Processing works diligently to produce each and every chemical storage tank to spec. But if a tank isn’t installed correctly it could lead to damage, leaks, safety issues for personnel, and a shorter tank life. Everyone should take chemical tank installation seriously.
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Value Added
The traditional choice for storing the materials in making beer and wine is stainless steel, copper, or oak casks. But breweries and wineries are beginning to see the benefits of using polyethylene storage tanks. What’s causing beer and wine industries to make the shift? Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) tanks are an ideal solution for breweries and wineries that would rather invest in scaling their business than sinking money into unnecessarily expensive equipment.
Universal ball dome fittings, or UBD fittings, are a type of tank fitting that has a moveable ball inside to allow angular adjustments. UBD fittings can only be installed on the dome of the chemical storage tank, because they aren’t considered leak-tight. The dome fitting has a compression nut that locks down the ball after you install the flange or bulkhead, allowing connections at angles up to 24 degrees. The self-aligning UBD fittings can be installed on the dome of a Poly Processing storage tank to give you more options for fitting placement. UBD fittings are an excellent choice for our double-wall SAFE-Tanks®, vertical tanks, or IMFO® Tanks. Let’s take a look at the uses for these types of fittings and their advantages.
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Fittings and Accessories
Poly Processing’s stronger-than-ever chemical tank pad, PolyBase, is engineered to handle more pressure and larger tanks. We have two types of PolyBase available: rotationally molded PolyBase systems for our IMFO® Tanks, and an innovative structural Polyurethane foam-based IMFO PolyBase option.
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Fittings and Accessories
Poly Processing tanks are used for water and wastewater treatment applications, but are also found in dozens of industries nationwide. We’re able to work with a wide variety of businesses and organizations that use chemicals to produce goods and products. This is the first in a series of articles over the next several months that will feature a selection of the markets we serve. (View the full list of the markets we serve.)
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Applications,
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
When it comes to a full discharge tank, cone-bottom tanks get the job done—except when they don’t. The fact is, cone-bottom tanks fall short on several fronts. Cleaning cone-bottom polyethylene tanks can be challenging. They require additional vertical space and safety precautions. And the tanks themselves cost a pretty penny — especially when you have to include a stand and basket to support the cone-bottom tank. Prices can skyrocket in today's market with the costs of metal and special coatings. Lead times for welded steel products can be extremely long as well.
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Tank Design and Materials
Poly Processing is committed to ensuring that our polyethylene chemical storage systems are NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 certified. In our previous article on NSF, we looked at NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and what it means to be certified. There can be some confusion about whether tanks or tank systems are certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and which certification is valid for which tank.
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Certifications and Standards
Municipal projects require detailed specifications for anything purchased as a capital expense. At Poly Processing Company, we’ve teamed up with national engineering firms and municipalities to develop industry leading pre-written engineering specifications for our three most popular polyethylene chemical tanks: the SAFE-Tank®, the vertical tank with IMFO® and the upright vertical storage tank.
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Certifications and Standards,
Value Added,
Chemical Storage
Poly Processing customers choose to color their polyethylene chemical storage tanks for a number of reasons. Tanks may be colored for aesthetics, branding, chemical identification, or to reduce transmission of radiant heat through the plastic.
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Fittings and Accessories
When you’re storing hazardous fluids such as corrosive acids, bases, or aggressively oxidizing chemicals, you need to be confident that your chemical storage tank can meet your expectations for years. You can’t afford to invest in chemical tanks, only to discover a year later that your chemical storage tank isn’t compatible with the chemicals you’re using. That’s a loss of product, time, and money—and it could put your people, equipment, and environment at risk, as well.
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Value Added
Most products that come in contact with potable water are tested under NSF 61 with the pH 5, pH 8 and pH 10 exposure waters that are defined in the standard. These exposure waters were designed to simulate the wide variety of potable water chemistries encountered across North America. However, the exposure waters were not designed to predict leaching of materials caused by aggressive chemicals.
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Certifications and Standards
Sodium hypochlorite is a well-known and aggressive oxidizer that is used in many applications. Our end-use customers often use “hypo” in the water treatment business to eliminate bacteria and viruses from water supplies. Anyone looking to maintain a safe and secure storage tank system has three challenges to overcome: UV rays, off-gassing, and oxidation. Over the years, Poly Processing has established a set of industry leading best practices that represent an ideal sodium hypochlorite storage system for overcoming these challenges.
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Chemicals
A wide variety of colors are available for polyethylene storage tanks. Cosmetics to match the surrounding buildings and landscape, customer preferences, and the application or the chemicals being stored are factors determining tank color selection. However, one color which is almost always selected for higher end storage solutions, such as storing harsh, aggressive chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, is black.
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Fittings and Accessories
One of the challenges in storing any oxidizing chemical is engineering a tank that not only stores the chemical but has a greater life expectancy and a measure of safety. Whether you’re storing sodium hypochlorite, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or other oxidizing substances, it is critical to design the storage tank with the chemical in mind.
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Tank Design and Materials
Proper tank design is crucial to successful safe chemical storage. Purchasing a chemical storage tank isn’t just about selecting the right size — it is vital to design the proper tank configuration for the safety of your employees, the protection of the environment, and to leverage your investment.
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Value Added
When you have questions about chemical storage or concerns about your chemical storage tank system, you want quick answers. You want to know who to call and get a live voice without getting the runaround. A solid customer service team takes great pride in delivering service that saves you time and eliminates any hassles.
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Value Added
Poly Processing's tanks are manufactured in the United States and are able to accommodate a wide variety of fittings and locations of fittings. This flexibility allows for proper inputs and venting, ensuring a safe and effective solution for a given chemical and longer tank life as well. A common point of confusion that we hear from customers is: Which fittings can I use on my tank, and where can they be installed? We've tried to simplify the answer to that question by considering each area of the tank and the corresponding compatible fittings.
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Fittings and Accessories
Seismic codes govern structural design to prevent damage to buildings and structures during an earthquake. It’s common knowledge that buildings must conform to specific seismic codes, but your chemical storage tanks also have seismic regulations. Any facility in a seismically active region, including everywhere along the Pacific Rim, must pay careful attention to the safety measures established in the International Building Code.
Chemical leaks present several major challenges for your facility. They can cause damage to storage systems, employees, and the environment. Repair and cleanup costs can be expensive, and the leaked chemical is wasted.
Twenty years ago, the availability of commercial grade cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) for chemical storage tanks was limited to a small number of sources. The limited supply, as well as a wide variation in quality, made it challenging to find quality resin for chemical storage tanks.
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Value Added
Maintaining the proper temperature of a chemical inside a high density crosslinked polyethylene tank can be critical for safe and effective storage. For example, sodium hydroxide and caustic soda need to maintain temperature to prevent crystallization at lower temperatures.
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Fittings and Accessories
You’ve heard the adage, “if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” Poly Processing believes this to be true 110% of the time when it comes to containment. Every single piece of a tank system needs to be completely secure to protect your workspace, your employees, the environment, and the chemical being stored. When you install a tank-within-tank or double wall storage tank system like the SAFE-Tank with a sidewall fitting, it may be important to also install a bellows transition fitting. The bellows fitting lets you safely connect the primary tank with the secondary containment tank.
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Fittings and Accessories
Poly Processing has three manufacturing plants in the United States. In each facility, we use a multi-step quality control process that meets and/or exceeds industry standards, including ASTM D-1998. The ASTM D-1998 standard is designed to give end users a margin of safety and peace of mind. It’s a voluntary standard, and not all tank manufacturers follow it.
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Value Added
With over 50 years of experience in creating tanks, fittings, accessories and other materials that ensure your chemical storage solution is safe and tailored to the chemical you are storing, we understand the importance of using the right products for your chemical. We’ve learned how the most popularly stored chemicals, like Sulfuric Acid, Sodium Hypochlorite and Hydrochloric Acid, react to improper storage systems. One part of those tank systems that is crucial is a tank’s gaskets. The tank’s gaskets act as a mechanical seal with a particular fitting to prevent leaks or spills. It is very important to make sure the gaskets and bolts used on your storage tanks are in compliance with what is needed to protect your tank fittings from corrosion caused by reactive chemicals.
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Fittings and Accessories
Certain chemicals such as ferric, alum, and hydrochloric acid, are inherently higher temperature chemicals. To avert catastrophic failure of your chemical storage tank, a margin of safety is required to manage risk. Poly Processing manufactures our tanks to meet your specific application requirements — including the type of chemical, the storage conditions, and the temperature of the chemicals you’re storing (among other considerations). Let’s take a look at the temperature factors you should keep in mind when purchasing a chemical storage tank. Related: How to Keep Your Chemicals Cool When the Heat Is On
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Fittings and Accessories
Sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or liquid lye, is commonly used to adjust pH levels in water and wastewater and can easily change hard water to a much closer approximation to neutral when injected into the water treatment system. Caustic soda can act as a corrosion inhibitor without the uneven distribution of calcium carbonate. Caustic soda is also used in the manufacturing of chemicals, rayon, cellophane, paper, detergents, soaps, and a variety of other products.
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Chemicals
Phosphoric acid is one of the top ten chemicals used in the United States. Phosphates have many uses in the treatment of drinking water. Food grade phosphoric acid is common in the food industry, and it’s even used in pharmaceuticals, detergents, and textile pigments.
Topics:
Chemicals
Poly Processing is the leader in innovative chemical storage solutions, but our customers deserve even more. A quality product is only one important part of our service to you. We also take seriously our responsibility to equip our customers to be successful with the chemical storage solutions they purchase.
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Technology Tips
Coagulation is one of the preliminary steps in treating wastewater to make it safe for drinking. When chemicals are used, proper design and engineering of the storage tank can help ensure safety, longevity, and operational efficiency.
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Applications
Before you purchase a chemical storage tank, it’s important to know what kind of service to expect from the manufacturer — immediately and for years to come. You might have installation and startup needs, but you may also have questions about retrofitting a tank or installing new tanks. Many tank manufacturers don’t have a field service team or service department. Instead, they hire a local fix-it professional who isn’t familiar with their storage systems. Other times, you might have to find a service technician yourself. Poly Processing has our own on-site nationwide field service team that can service your PPC chemical storage tank at your facility. Let’s take a look at the types of on-site service our dedicated technicians are doing on a daily basis.
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Value Added
One of the most critical aspects of choosing and building a chemical storage tank system is tank design. Poly Processing makes this process as simple as possible for you by providing easy access to resources and several types of tank drawings.
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Technology Tips
Purchasing a high-performance chemical storage tank is a significant investment for your company, and choosing the right tank for your needs isn’t always an easy decision. If you’re deciding between a fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tank and polyethylene tank, be sure you understand the differences between them and know what to expect in terms of cost, maintenance, service, delivery times, and protection.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Maintaining the proper temperature of a chemical inside a SAFE-Tank® double wall tank is often critical for safe storage. For example, sodium hydroxide and caustic soda need to maintain temperature to prevent crystallization.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Poly Processing has three strategically located manufacturing plants, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana — with plants in Winchester, Virginia and French Camp, California as well. These locations give us the ability to easily transfer inventory and ship tanks to our customers throughout the United States.
Topics:
Installation and Service
At Poly Processing Company, we make it a top priority to ensure that you have all of the information needed to build a safe, reliable chemical storage system. That's why our complete digital product catalog is more than just a list of everything we offer. We've developed a catalog that is educational and a valuable resource for building a Poly Processing tank system that's right for your specific application. We're pleased to announce that we've updated our complete catalog with new content. The catalog includes 80 pages of chemical storage guidelines, Poly Processing Company tanks, tank accessories, custom fittings, and much more.
Hydrofluorosilicic acid, or H2SiF6, is a challenging chemical because it has properties that pose a danger and specific storage concerns. With its common use in water treatment, it’s important that you’re aware of the risks of improperly storing this chemical. Let’s take a closer look at the nature of hydrofluorosilicic acid, its applications, the specific storage concerns and solutions, and safety considerations when working with this complicated chemical.
Topics:
Chemicals
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.
Topics:
Applications,
Chemical Storage
You need to know how much chemical is in your storage tank so you can order more product at the right time to continue business without missing a beat. Not only that, but certain chemicals have to be stored at specific levels to maintain their properties. Replacing the chemical too early or too late can stall your operations, ruin your inventory, and impact your profits.
If you aren’t increasing your chemical storage capacity, it might be time to reevaluate your storage strategy. Over the last couple of years, many Poly Processing customers have shifted their approach to storing chemicals. They are increasing their total volume capacity in response to many of the market’s trends. External factors, such as the war in Ukraine and supply chain issues, have a trickle-down effect that impacts companies that need to buy and store chemicals. These companies are discovering that it makes good business sense to upsize their chemical storage capacity — both from an operational perspective and a financial one. Should your facility increase your chemical storage capacity? Here are some compelling reasons it might make sense for you to upsize.
Topics:
Chemical Storage
When you design a chemical storage tank, it’s commonplace to request extra or "spare" fittings in the sidewall. These fittings aren’t designated for anything specific, but at some point you might need to add another accessory to the tank. It’s convenient to have that fitting already installed and ready to go. This is a common practice, but it’s a potentially hazardous one. Every time you penetrate the sidewall of a tank, you introduce another potential leak. Fittings have gaskets that need to be maintained and monitored for cracking. Over time, fittings and gaskets can degrade and require replacement. The fittings also need to have the proper torque on them for a proper seal.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Poly Processing Company invites you to visit us at booth #2015 at WEFTEC 2022, October 10-12 in New Orleans, LA.
Topics:
News and Customer Stories
As you’re researching and designing a chemical storage solution for your facility, the one thing you need more than anything else is information. The right information, plenty of it, and right where you can easily get it. Poly Processing realizes how critical it is for customers like you to have quick and easy access to the information you need. That’s why we’ve invested so much of our own resources into building and curating the industry’s best chemical storage knowledge library.
Leachate and condensate from landfills can contain hazardous materials — either from the waste itself or as a result of chemical compounds breaking down. Landfill leachate is liquid that comes in contact with or is released from waste. Condensate is the liquid generated as a result of the gas collection and recovery process. In both cases, the liquid can be extremely hazardous and can create environmental disasters that take decades to recover from.
Topics:
Chemicals
Poly Processing’s standard crosslinked polyethylene tank systems can withstand process temperatures up to 100F — but that figure can be misleading, because there are different types of temperature to consider. For example, one of our customers in Texas asked about keeping a polyethylene tank outdoors in extreme temperatures:
Topics:
Value Added
Anytime a chemical storage tank is located outside, it’s exposed to harmful elements, such as sun, wind, and rain. Poly Processing recommends taking special considerations to protect the life of your storage tank, especially from damaging ultraviolet rays.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Applications
We’ve written several articles about the importance of protecting your chemical storage tank from aggressive chemicals. Mechanical stress can be just as significant, causing polyethylene chemical storage tanks to crack. Mechanical stress occurs when the tank’s structure is compromised after a physical impact with another object, over pressurization, improper venting, or rigid plumbing that doesn’t allow natural expansion and contraction of the tank.
Topics:
Value Added
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 in most cases 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.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Poly Processing Company has updated our product line card and made it available on our website. Newly formatted with the latest information and our most popular core offerings, the product line card gives you an at-a-glance overview of the industry’s most innovative chemical storage products.
As industries develop innovative solutions to problems, many companies need polyethylene products that aren’t currently being produced by manufacturers. These organizations turn to specialists to design custom-built solutions.
Topics:
Applications
It’s common for wastewater treatment plants to rely on cross-linked polyethylene chemical tanks, but many municipal water treatment plants are using inferior linear polyethylene or fiberglass tanks. While the short-term benefits are tempting, using linear polyethylene or fiberglass tanks can be like pouring money down the drain. Instead, Poly Processing’s cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) tanks give you better performance, greater cost-effectiveness, longer useful life, and more innovative solutions.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
For over 50 years, Poly Processing has been known as the trusted leader in the chemical storage industry. We’ve earned a reputation for technological innovation, which is built on a robust knowledge of chemical storage engineering and manufacturing. Our new website is dedicated to sharing that expertise with our customers. Because the more you know about the chemicals you’re storing — and the tank systems you’re using — the better equipped you’ll be to protect your inventory, your workers, and your bottom line.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
In some chemical storage tank applications, it is necessary to install a ladder to allow for inspection, to check gauges, and to service level sensors or mixers. In this blog we will discuss the various ladder options available, as well as which ladder system is best for your storage application.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Just because different tanks are made from polyethylene, doesn’t mean they will give you the same performance. Various polyethylene tanks may not even be suitable for storing the type of chemical you use. Polyethylene is available in several different types of resin. Some types are made for injection molding, others for extrusion, others for blow molding and yet others for rotational molding.
Topics:
Value Added,
Tank Design and Materials
In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency mandated the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) in diesel engines. In an SCR-equipped vehicle, the exhaust gas from the engine goes through a particulate filter to eliminate the soot and ash generated from burning diesel fuel.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Applications
Hydrochloric acid (HCl), also known as muriatic acid, is toxic and highly corrosive. The chemical is used in many different applications, including chloride production, refining ore and producing metals like tantalum and tin. Because HCl is such a powerful acid, it is often used for neutralizing basic solutions. It also requires careful handling and an engineered storage system that is designed specifically for hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric Acid In Nature Interestingly enough, HCl can be found in the human stomach. It's part of our gastric acid and forms an important part of our digestive system. Although it is quite damaging, the stomach is protected from damage by a secretion of a thick layer of mucous as well as a hormone called secretin. In some cases, people might suffer from indigestion or even a stomach ulcer as a result of this acid that is not handled properly by the built-in mechanisms of the body This is not the only place we find it working, it has a variety of uses across multiple industries. What is Hydrochloric Acid Used For? Here are the top 10 industrial Hydrochloric Acid uses: Manufacturing organic compounds like dichloroethane and vinyl chloride, which are used to manufacture PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) Regulating the pH level of a wide variety of manufacturing processes including the production of drinking water, foods and pharmaceuticals Lowering the pH or total alkalinity of the water in swimming pools to optimal levels for swimmers. Purifying table salt Pickling Steel - removing rust and scale from a steel coil or sheet Processing leathers in the leather tanning industry Regenerating ion exchangers Producing inorganic compounds such as ferric acid and aluminium chlorohydrate for water treatment Assisting oil well production Processing various additives like fructose, citric acid and hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Topics:
Chemical Storage
Purchasing and maintaining a chemical storage solution isn’t as simple as making a trip to the hardware store and picking out a tank that’ll do the trick. Unfortunately, many facilities make chemical tank purchases without the proper planning and execution, and the results can be costly.
Topics:
Installation and Service
One of the most popular chemicals that Poly Processing polyethylene tanks store in the market is Hydrofluoric Acid. It's not only a commonly used chemical, it's also one of the more dangerous chemicals. That's why safe and proper storage is so important.
Topics:
Chemicals,
imfo
Rather than settle for the industry standard, Poly Processing redefines the standard by developing fittings and accessories that clearly address our customers’ needs. By analyzing industry requirements and working directly with our customers, we gain the insights to develop specialized products that address real-life issues in the field.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Firefighting foam is commonly used at airports, hangars and other locations where hazardous fires can occur. The foaming agent used in the foam in most cases is a surfactant based chemical. Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension between two liquids, or a liquid and a solid. Dishwashing liquid contains surfactants—and like firefighting foam, it foams up when it mixes with water.
Topics:
Chemicals
Mixing chemicals and other substances is a lot like mixing cake batter. A container is involved, as is a stand (or bracket) to support the mixing system. But, if you’ve ever made a cake, you know that you have to move the bowl around to mix all the ingredients. It doesn’t work to stick the beaters down in the bowl and keep them in one place.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye or caustic soda, is used to neutralize the pH of water in a variety of applications. The chemical leaves no residual color, is a high-strength product, and is available at concentrations of two to 50 percent. Most of our customers use it in 25 to 50 percent concentrations.
Topics:
Chemicals
For over 50 years, Poly Processing has been the industry leader in chemical storage tank innovation and manufacturing. Poly Processing has a lineup of six 13'- 9" diameter tanks. These tanks include the Vertical Tank, the IMFO® (Integrally Molded Flanged Outlet) Tank and the Sloped-bottom IMFO Tank. These tanks represent the best engineering and design in the tank manufacturing industry, and they are covered under PPC’s industry-leading warranty.
Topics:
News and Customer Stories,
Tank Design and Materials
At first glance, most polyethylene storage tanks look pretty similar. It’s hard to tell the difference between a robust, well-designed tank and an inferior one. Over the years, we've found that many customers aren’t aware of the construction standards for polyethylene tanks, or they believe that all tank manufacturers follow the same standards.
Topics:
Certifications and Standards
While, at a glance, it’s impossible to gauge the life of your polyethylene chemical storage tank, there are many things to know and consider that will help you extend the life of your tank to its fullest potential. It is important to know that from the production of the tank, through installation, it is expertly manufactured with all of the right gaskets and fittings. After tank installation, it is important to have it inspected regularly to look for problems that could cause tank failure.
Topics:
Value Added
Purchasing the wrong chemical storage tank could be a disastrous decision, so it’s critical to make sure you’re ordering a storage solution that can meet your specific needs. There are several important factors to consider when you design a polyethylene chemical storage tank for your particular application. Always start the configuration process with the chemical that is being stored, because the chemical’s properties influence the entire tank design, including fittings and accessories, thickness, and materials.
Topics:
Chemical Storage
When companies come to Poly Processing, they aren’t just looking for the best chemical storage tank options. Our customers also trust us for some of the most reliable information in the industry. We’re dedicated to helping you store your materials safely and effectively.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
The Poly Processing chemical storage solution always begins with a thorough understanding of the chemical being stored. To design and recommend a safe, cost-effective chemical storage system, it's critical for our tank experts to ask the right questions and do the right research. This ensures that we properly understand the makeup of your chemicals and the potential reactions to various storage solutions.
Topics:
Value Added
PFAS continues to make headlines and cause concern because these compounds have been detected in drinking water supplies across the country. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has determined that PFAS accumulation in the human body can have adverse health effects. In response, to provide Americans, including the most sensitive populations, with a margin of protection from a lifetime of exposure to PFOA and PFOS from drinking water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established the health advisory levels at 70 parts per trillion. In addition, the EPA has set a drinking water lifetime health advisory limit of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS. These are some of the lowest limits ever established for a contaminant.
Topics:
Applications
If your sodium hypochlorite chemical tank (or any tank, for that matter) is located outdoors, it’s exposed to the elements, such as sun, wind, and rain. Special considerations are recommended to protect the life of the chemical and the storage tank, especially from damaging ultraviolet rays from the sun.
Topics:
Chemical Storage
It comes as no surprise that a new wastewater treatment plant can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Upgrading a plant can cost several million dollars as well. Yet, the chemical storage tanks that go into those plants are one of the least expensive items.
Topics:
Applications
Peracetic acid is a bactericide and fungicide that is used in the food industry and wastewater management. It’s a potent chemical that must be treated with care and stored properly. Improper handling could be costly and result in personal injury.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Chemical Storage
You’ve done the hard part already. You’ve talked to a chemical tank expert at Poly Processing, designed your chemical tank system, double-checked that all the fittings you’ve ordered are compatible with your chemical, and you’re ready for your new storage tank system to be delivered. Now that your order is placed and approved, you’re preparing to receive your polyethylene chemical storage tank within eight to ten weeks, there are some steps you need to have in place before your tank arrives. But what should you expect when your polyethylene tank arrives?
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Value Added
Barium is a chemical found at relatively low levels in nature, but if it seeps into the drinking water, it can cause a variety of potential health problems. Due to these significant health risks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered all water treatment plants in areas with higher levels of barium to remove its contents from the water prior to releasing it to the public for consumption.
Topics:
Applications,
Tank Design and Materials
Poly Processing works diligently to produce each and every chemical storage tank to spec. But if a tank isn’t installed correctly it could lead to damage, leaks, safety issues for personnel, and a shorter tank life. Everyone should take chemical tank installation seriously.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Value Added
Proper venting of polyethylene chemical storage tanks is vital for safe operation — it’s also critical for maximizing a polyethylene storage tank's effective lifecycle. Poly Processing's chemical storage tanks are designed to function at atmospheric pressure per ASTM-D 1998, the industry standard for producing vertical polyethylene tanks. During pneumatic offloading from a tanker truck, offloading pressures can exceed 30 psi, resulting in high ACFM rates.
Topics:
Venting
When a chemical storage tank fails, the costs can be significant to your organization. Regulatory concerns, environmental cleanup, lawsuits from property damage, and injury to employees are costly exposures. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons chemical storage tanks fail.
Topics:
Value Added
Purchasing a high-quality chemical storage tank is a significant investment for your company, and choosing the right tank for your needs isn’t always an easy decision. If you’re considering a fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tank, be sure you understand the concerns and challenges you’ll face if your FRP tank needs repair. Let’s examine the challenges of fiberglass tank repair to determine if fiberglass tanks are a wise choice in the long run for chemical storage at your facility.
Topics:
Value Added
Whether you’re an engineer writing a spec for a chemical storage system, or an end user who is looking for the best way to store corrosive chemicals, there are multiple factors that go into creating a safe storage system. Cost might be your first consideration, but there is more to consider than the initial price of the tank, its fittings and accessories, delivery, installation and tank longevity.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Throughout the country, and even in the global market, the demand for chemicals has led to shortages of many raw materials. At Poly Processing, we’re seeing this occurring in several industries and geographical areas.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
It’s easy to get confused between NSF certification, FDA approval, and FDA requirements. Which terms do you need to be familiar with, and what should you expect from your chemical storage tank? These are good questions, and it’s important to understand the differences between NSF and FDA as you prepare to purchase a storage system.
Topics:
Certifications and Standards
The food and beverage industry has a long history of relying on stainless steel storage tanks due to the belief that the resins in a polyethylene storage tank allow leaching and bacterial growth with food dyes and other food products.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Applications
A double-wall pipe is an important safety tool when storing liquids, whether it’s chemicals, wastewater, or even liquids used in the food and beverage industry. The vast majority of double-walled piping applications are for wastewater chemicals, contaminated groundwater, and chemical process safety. Double-wall piping systems are used in a variety of ways to protect against leaks. When paired with a SAFE-Tank® system, it makes your storage solution even more secure.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Tank Design and Materials
When companies are purchasing a chemical storage tank, they often ask, “How long will the tank last?” We wish we could answer that question, but it’s a lot like asking, how long are you going to live? Just as a top athlete can die young from an injury and a lifelong smoker can live into their 90’s, there’s no way to predict exactly how long a specific chemical tank will last.
Safe water storage is important for both residential and commercial uses. In residential applications, homeowners capture rainwater for watering lawns and gardens. Water storage is necessary in a wide variety of commercial processes, including farming irrigation, livestock care, and cleaning.
Topics:
Applications
This is the fourth article in Poly Processing’s Innovation Series, where you’ll discover the many innovations that we have introduced to the chemical storage industry. One of the biggest challenges in vertical tank design is maintaining the tank’s integrity while still allowing for the tank to be fully discharged, cleaned, and properly maintained. Traditional tank maintenance can be a challenge with many chemicals — so Poly Processing Company has developed a unique full discharge system that helps minimize the hazards associated with traditional vertical tank maintenance.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Sodium hypochlorite, or bleach, is one of the most commonly used chemicals across all industries. But that doesn’t mean you should use a common chemical storage system to contain this aggressive oxidizer. Whether you’re using a bleach concentration of 0.8%, 6%, or 12.5%, sodium hypochlorite will attack your storage tanks more aggressively than most other solutions. Without the proper storage tank system, you could be looking at a tank failure in less time than you expect.
Topics:
Chemical Storage
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.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
This is the second article in Poly Processing’s Innovation Series, where you’ll discover the many innovations that we have introduced to the chemical storage industry. 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.
Topics:
Value Added
You may spend a little more on a Poly Processing cross-linked polyethylene tank, but it could possibly cost much you more to own other tanks. Here’s why.
Topics:
Venting,
Fittings and Accessories,
Tank Design and Materials
Many industrial chemical applications use mixers to create products, keep chemicals in suspension, for wastewater treatment purposes, or to dilute the chemical. Polyethylene tanks are well-equipped to handle that type of process, as most chemicals can be safely combined. In this article, we’ll discuss three basic types of mixing systems that our tanks use.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
This is the first article in Poly Processing’s Innovation Series, where you’ll discover the many innovations that we have introduced to the chemical storage industry. If you manufacture, sell or distribute water treatment or distribution products in North America, your products typically must comply with NSF/ANSI 61. NSF/ANSI 61 sets the criteria for water system components to protect health standards. It’s important that all components in water treatment meet the correct standards to ensure dangerous toxins aren’t leached. However, there is confusion about NSF-61 certifications, and that confusion could lead to purchasing the wrong product for your application. Let’s explore NSF/ANSI 61 and how to make sure your chemical storage tank system meets the necessary requirements.
Topics:
Value Added
Polyethylene chemical storage tanks are designed to expand and contract slightly in response to changes in temperature and internal pressure. But if your tank isn’t designed to handle the pressure it faces at key moments, you could be unknowingly setting yourself up for a tank failure.
Topics:
Venting
It’s hard to judge, with the naked eye, how a polyethylene tank is constructed. On the surface, a tank is just a tank. However, there is a big difference between a well-designed, properly constructed tank and a cheap one that doesn’t meet structural requirements.
Topics:
Certifications and Standards
If you’re storing potassium hydroxide, you have a chemical that can’t be taken lightly. Storing and handling potassium hydroxide requires a chemical tank system that will live up to the rigors of a hazardous substance without the possibility of a catastrophic failure in the case of a leak.
One of the biggest advantages of polyethylene chemical storage tanks is their flexibility. Polyethylene tanks expand and contract with hydrostatic pressure changes during loading and unloading and during changing weather conditions. While a rigid tank is more susceptible to cracking and damage over time, a flexible tank is resilient.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
The day you receive your SAFE-Tank chemical storage system is the most critical day in the life of your tank. Safe and proper installation isn’t difficult, but you have to pay attention. An improper installation can mean expensive or time-consuming problems down the road.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
No matter what chemicals you’re storing, it’s important to conduct routine storage tank inspections. These inspections are vital to help keep the chemical tanks, fittings, venting and accessories in good working condition—and to avoid costly surprise failures. Even if the polyethylene tank is relatively new, a routine and careful visual inspection is recommended.
Topics:
Installation and Service
Poly Processing Company is committed to making your experience with us as simple and effective as possible. To help save time and eliminate frustration, we’ve created an app for selecting the right chemical storage tank, called the PPC Tank Selector Tool.
Topics:
Technology Tips
If you’ve recently purchased a new polyethylene chemical storage tank or are planning on purchasing a poly tank, there are several ways to protect your storage solution from the start.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Value Added
Power plants rely on several important chemicals to generate energy and operate at peak efficiency. The most sensitive application areas are cooling and boiler water treatment, since a failure in either of these areas directly impacts the facility’s operations.
Topics:
Chemical Storage,
power plants
Liquid glues, or white glues, are water-based adhesives that are used in a wide variety of applications. They’re popular, because they are eco-friendly, non-toxic, easily recyclable, and safe to handle.
Topics:
Chemicals
Poly Processing tanks are used worldwide for water and wastewater treatment applications. We provide solutions to a wide variety of businesses and organizations that use tanks to store chemicals and other materials for water treatment.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
Chemical storage tanks aren’t just for wastewater treatment plants. Poly Processing tanks are found in dozens of industries nationwide, from agriculture to manufacturing to pharmaceuticals and beyond. We work with almost any business that uses chemicals to design and manufacture the right storage tank system for each specific application.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
We’re obsessive about designing the proper tank for your particular chemical storage needs. But the right tank for the right job doesn’t matter if it isn’t offloaded and installed properly.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Chemical Storage
The oil and gas industry is one of the largest revenue sectors in the world, generating over $3 trillion each year. The United States is one of the top producers of oil, making it a critical industry to the country’s economy. Oilfields depend upon chemical solutions to ensure they continue steady oil production — especially as the oilfields age.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
Chemical storage tanks aren’t just for wastewater treatment plants. Poly Processing tanks are found in dozens of industries nationwide, from agriculture to manufacturing to pharmaceuticals and beyond. We work with almost any business that uses chemicals. We design and manufacture the right storage tank system for your specific application.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
In industry, a great deal of manufacturing is made from very few chemicals. Here are four of the most commonly produced and used chemicals. All of these chemicals are produced in excess of 100 million metric tons per year.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Chemical Storage
If your industrial company produces hazardous runoff from operating equipment, you need to treat the wastewater before dumping it into the sewer or wastewater stream. Depending on your industry, you may need to have a very detailed process that meets the highest standards. Each state and city might have their own standards and regulations you’ll need to meet, or you might be under federal regulations.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
Your double walled tank could be violating the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) without your knowledge — even if there’s nothing wrong with the tank itself. The CFR contains requirements designed to protect the environment from exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
Paper mills use harsh chemicals on a daily basis in the production of pulp and paper. These chemicals can be hazardous to the environment and to workers’ health, so it’s critical to install a chemical storage system you can rely on.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Chemical Storage
Poly Processing tanks are used worldwide for water and wastewater treatment applications, but our tanks are also found in dozens of industries as well. We’re able to work with and provide solutions to a wide variety of businesses and organizations that use tanks to store chemicals and other materials.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories,
Chemical Storage
Proper venting of a chemical storage tank system helps ensure safe operation and can also extends the useful life of the tank. Poly Processing Company sees venting as one of the most critical parts of a safe chemical storage system. We also attach venting labels to tanks manufactured at any of our three facilities. Our goal is to give users a peace of mind and walk you through the do’s and don’ts of proper venting in order to keep it simple, safe, and effective for the end users and operators.
Topics:
Venting
Liquid ammonium sulfate (LAS) started as a liquid fertilizer that was applied to hard ground. Today, LAS has become widely accepted as a stable and effective source of ammonia for chloramination in wastewater treatment. Alternatives such as anhydrous or aqueous ammonia are hazardous, sometimes requiring pressurized storage tanks and special handling and safety procedures.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Chemical Storage
Whether you’re an engineer writing a spec for a chemical storage system, or an end-user who is looking for the best way to store corrosive chemicals, there are multiple factors that go into creating a safe storage system. Cost might be your first consideration, but there is more to consider than the initial price of the tank, its fittings and accessories, delivery, installation, and tank longevity.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Tank Design and Materials
Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) present a major challenge to municipal solid waste and wastewater treatment operations — but it’s becoming a problem for businesses, too.
Topics:
Chemicals
How do you know when it’s time to replace your polyethylene storage tank, instead of repairing it? No matter what chemical tank manufacturer you use, there are hidden costs to replacing a damaged tank. At some point, it’s less expensive to replace the tank — but that could be years later than you might think. Many companies only calculate the tank purchase cost and shipping costs when deciding whether to repair or replace a chemical storage tank, but there are several additional factors to consider as well. Let’s look at these overlooked factors that contribute to your total cost.
Topics:
Value Added
Polymers are important chemicals used in the headworks of wastewater treatment plants. They facilitate the flocculation or coagulation of solids in the wastewater to produce large curds of solid materials. They also aid in dewatering of digester cake — reducing the water content to make it easier and less expensive to transport waste materials to the landfill. Polymers are highly viscous environmental stress cracking agents, which means they present unique storage challenges that require the right storage solution for adequate safety and cost effectiveness. Let’s explore these challenges and solutions.
Topics:
Chemicals
Sodium hypochlorite is a chemical used in thousands of applications. As an aggressive oxidizer, it’s critical to limit the opportunity for the chemical to escape the storage tank. If you’re using a polyethylene tank to store oxidizing chemicals, you can multiply the useful life of your chemical storage tank by using an engineered polyethylene antioxidant tank system.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
When you design a chemical storage tank system, you have to consider the factors that impact the tank’s service life. Not only do you have to make sure that the tank material and fitting materials are compatible with the chemical you’re storing, it’s also important to consider the functionality of the tank — for example, how it responds to pressure. You need to know exactly how much pressure your chemical storage tank can safely handle. This is an issue for every chemical tank, no matter what material it’s made of. Fortunately, cross-linked polyethylene storage tanks have remarkable durability compared to many other materials. That said, you need to know your tank’s pressure limits.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Once your food production facility outgrows your 300-gallon totes, it’s time to look into larger storage tanks for food storage and clean-in-place chemicals. There are several options on the market to choose from, but you’ll need to consider which storage tank can meet your greatest challenges: FDA requirements, full-drain capabilities, and cost-effectiveness.
Topics:
Chemicals
On the surface, polyethylene storage tanks can look pretty similar. It isn’t easy to tell a well-designed and constructed tank from a cheap, inferior tank. Many customers don’t realize that there’s a standard for tank construction based on resin properties and testing. Others simply assume all tank manufacturers follow the ASTM D 1998 standards. ASTM standards require that all polyethylene tanks and tank materials go through three tests to determine the strength and structural integrity of the chemical storage tank. There is also an additional test for cross-linked polyethylene tanks to measure the chemical makeup of the tank materials. Together, these standardized tests help ensure that you have the strongest, most durable chemical storage tank available.
Topics:
Value Added
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.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
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.
Topics:
Value Added
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.
Topics:
Certifications and Standards,
Value Added
Environmental stress cracking is a failure of the polymer material due to surface initiated micro cracks or fractures. These are caused by the combined presence of stresses and environmental effects. The polymer’s resistance to such failures is called environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR). It seems that the stresses and environmental effects combine synergistically to accelerate the development of these micro cracks. Even though this process is not fully understood, it is suspected that the surface active material present in the environment (a surfactant or aggresive chemical) interacts with the surface of the polymer to initiate and accelerate the formation of microscopic voids within the polymer chains. Over time, these imperceptible cracks combine to form larger cracks or crack propogation, which can lead to leaks or even tank failure. If cracks occur, it’s recommended that you replace the polyethylene tank.
Topics:
Value Added,
Tank Design and Materials
Commercial sodium hypochlorite is the product of chlorine and sodium hydroxide. It is typically supplied as a liquid solution with a concentration of about 12%. Although the liquid solution is more expensive than gas, it has a lower health risk, it’s easier and safer to use, and it reduces the risk of releasing chlorine gas — especially in areas that are close to surrounding properties.
Topics:
Chemicals
PolyGard™ is a seamless, corrosive-resistant polyethylene lining system for steel tanks and vessels. It’s used as a barrier to protect the steel from the aggressive chemicals you’re storing—even in the harshest of conditions. PolyGard lets you combine the chemical resistance of polyethylene with the durability and strength of stainless steel. To truly understand how effective PolyGard is, let’s examine what it is comprised of, how it is made, and how it is commonly used.
Topics:
Value Added
One of the most important design considerations of any chemical storage tank system is the use of flexible connectors and isolation valves. When paired correctly, these accessories will not only help ensure your storage tank’s longevity, they can also protect the tank from hinge points that cause dangerous leaks.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Acetic acid is a versatile, common chemical that’s used for a variety of purposes. The colorless liquid usually has a sour odor and can cause physical harm if it isn’t handled correctly. It is critical to ensure that you design a proper storage solution because improper acetic acid storage can risk the health of the people who work near it.
Topics:
Chemicals
When you’re filling your chemical storage tank, it is important to ensure the safety of employees and equipment and to prevent loss of product. A fill line helps prevent spills while making it easy and efficient to fill the tank.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
When it comes to choosing a chemical storage solution, you won’t find a more aesthetic option than stainless steel tanks. Steel tanks are popular in breweries and other applications where they’re on public display. The tanks look shiny and clean, and they contribute to the interior design of the space. Steel tanks also have a reputation for being one of the most reliable chemical storage systems on the market.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Are you familiar with the latest updates to the NSF/ANSI 61 standards? We cover everything you need to know in our article featured in the June 2019 edition of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine.
Topics:
Certifications and Standards
If you want your polyethylene chemical storage tank to last for its full lifetime, you’ll need to make sure your tank has the right specific gravity rating. Every chemical has its own specific gravity, and it’s critically important that your tank is designed to meet the demands of the particular chemical you’re storing. Tanks that are rated too low can suffer from mechanical stress and early failure.
Topics:
Value Added
Cross-linked polyethylene tanks withstand greater pressure, in part because of the rotational molding manufacturing process. Rotational molding is by far the best process to create a cross-linked polyethylene chemical storage tank.
Topics:
Value Added,
Tank Design and Materials
Purchasing a chemical storage tank is a significant investment. You want confidence and reassurance that the tank will give you the dependability and longevity that was advertised. A strong and transparent warranty shows that the manufacturer believes in and stands behind their product.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Value Added
With some chemicals, it’s critical to keep them cool because they will lose their concentration when they heat up. Sodium Hypochlorite is a prime example of that. As it heats up, it starts to lose its strength, and it begins to release gas and free radicals. Its strength can diminish dramatically with heat and UV. So it’s important to keep the chemical as cool as possible from the moment it arrives at your facility. Other chemicals are similar—if they become too warm, they won’t perform as well as you need them to.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Tank Design and Materials
Clean-in-place (CIP) systems are becoming more and more popular in the food manufacturing industry. The system design makes cleaning the interior surfaces of a storage tank and the lines going out of it more effective and efficient without having to enter the tank. They also allow for a thorough cleaning with less exposure to harmful chemicals or contamination of food and beverage mixtures. Many hazardous situations are safer because of CIP systems, but they require certain considerations to be effective. Let’s look at how to make your clean-in-place system most effective.
Topics:
Chemicals
Surfactants are the corn syrup of the chemical world—they’re in all kinds of products you’d never expect. Most people know that surfactants are an active ingredient in detergents, but you can also find them in a wide range of cleaning products, wetting agents, emulsifiers (including motor oil), foaming agents or dispersants.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye, is a common inorganic compound that is typically used as a strong chemical base. In liquid form, caustic soda becomes “slippery” and tends to find weak points in storage containers, and fittings, and eventually create drips and leaks.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials,
Chemical Storage
Some companies need to place their chemical storage tanks underground because of space limitations, or for aesthetic reasons. Steel tanks and reinforced tanks are built to withstand the external pressure that is applied underground, but what about lightweight plastic tanks? While plastic storage tanks have many advantages over other tank materials, polyethylene is not the solution for underground storage. Here’s why.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Value Added
Various types of chemical storage systems have handrails along the top of the tank, but Poly Processing tanks don’t. Polyethylene tanks can’t support handrails, and the tanks shouldn’t be walked on. The domed surface can be very slippery, and the plastic can become brittle over time and possibly crack under a person’s weight. So how do you safely inspect manways, check gauges, and service level sensors or mixers?
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
When building your storage tank system, it’s important to not only carefully consider the tank itself, but also the fittings and accessories. An important part of your tank is your manway cover. Failing to understand the purpose and function of the manway can threaten the safety of your employees and result in leaks, tank damage, and environmental hazards. Let’s look at three things you should consider when choosing a manway cover. We’ll also introduce the best options for each consideration.
Topics:
Venting
There are several types of chlorine sources that water treatment plants can use: chlorine gas, liquid sodium hypochlorite, or onsite production. Chlorine gas can be more cost effective, but a growing number of states are converting to bulk sodium hypochlorite or bleach. If chlorine gas is more economical, why would water treatment plants convert to sodium hypochlorite?
Topics:
Applications,
Chemical Storage
A leaky fitting is a serious issue that could put your employees in danger and cause damage to surrounding equipment. Leaked chemicals are a financial loss, and they can create serious environmental issues that plague your company for decades. Our field service team will occasionally receive calls from concerned customers who need help fixing a leaking fitting on their chemical storage tank. It's not an issue that comes up often so many people are not sure what caused the issue or what to do next.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
If you’ve seen hairline cracks like spiderwebs on your chemical storage tank, you might wonder if you’re looking at a future problem. That’s a good question. The short answer is, maybe. The long answer is a little more helpful, and this article will outline next steps for dealing with hairline crackling, called crazing.
Topics:
Chemical Storage
If you're storing chemicals that emit fumes such as hydrochloric acid or hydrogen peroxide, you need to have a proper venting system in place. We've developed The PolyScrub™ fume scrubber to help you ensure the safety of your employees, equipment, and the environment. Check out the video below to learn more.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Secondary containment is an important safeguard that helps plant operators mitigate the costly risks of chemical spills. Many companies are realizing the business advantages of switching from open-top tanks and concrete basins to a double-wall containment system. When our customers are weighing their options, they usually have several questions about double-wall containment. Here are some of the most common questions and answers about double-wall containment systems.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Poly Processing's polyethylene storage tank test and results are featured in the August 2018 edition of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine’s Our team wanted to test how polyetheylene tanks would hold up in the real world. So we subjected rotomolded, cross-linked and linear high-denisity poly tanks to high-impact and pressurization tests.
Topics:
Value Added
Citric acid is a chemical commonly used in a number of different beverages and drinks as a flavoring and preservative. It can also be found in some household cleaners. Safe citric acid storage isn’t necessarily a major challenge, but there are a few things you must keep in mind in order to make certain that you’re storing citric acid properly.
Topics:
Chemicals,
Chemical Storage
Proper chemical storage is an important aspect of operating a plant or facility. In order to ensure that your chemicals are stored safely in polyethylene tanks, you need to choose a tank with the correct wall thickness. A fraction of an inch can make the difference between a tank that lasts for decades and one that fails early. Here’s what you need to know about determining the correct wall thickness for your chemical storage tank.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Properly storing chemicals also means completely draining your storage tanks. Your regular maintenance and cleaning routine must include fully draining your chemical tanks to prevent contaminating new batches. But sometimes, draining the tank is easier said than done. Space constraints, incorrect fitting placements, and dealing with hazardous chemicals can all complicate routine maintenance.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Stainless steel has long been the tank material of choice for storage in the food and beverage industry. Businesses have been hesitant to use polyethylene storage solutions, believing the porous resins would allow leaching and bacterial growth. Poly Processing’s innovative OR-1000™ system gives you an alternative option to expensive steel tanks. Our advanced polyethylene resin technology is fully FDA/CFR compliant, giving you a storage solution with longevity and cost savings advantages for food and beverage operations.
Topics:
Applications
Since 2015, the number of breweries in the U.S. has increased by almost 50% to over 5,500 breweries. As the industry becomes more crowded, the competition among beer makers is also increasing. That means craft breweries need to find more cost-effective ways to scale their business. Stainless steel tanks are the traditional choice for storing the materials for making beer. But innovative breweries are beginning to realize the business benefits of polyethylene storage tanks.
Topics:
Chemical Storage
There’s more to chemical storage tank colors than you might expect. When you purchase a Poly Processing tank from the catalog, you can select an unpainted translucent tank or a black tank. But many of our customers want to know if they can order a custom color for aesthetic reasons or branding purposes. If you need a custom color for your tank, you have a couple of options—some are better than others.
Topics:
Value Added
A tank pad, or housekeeping pad, provides some elevation above the containment berm so that plumbing can be fitted to the bottom of a chemical storage tank. Housekeeping pads are popular with our customers, but you need to be sure you plan correctly to get the best use out of them.
Topics:
Value Added
Sodium chloride brine is used in a variety of industrial applications. Auto manufacturers, system OEM’s, food processors, municipalities, refineries, hotels, hospitals, commercial laundries, textile dyeing houses, and chemical plants all use brine in their operations.
Topics:
Chemicals
Peracetic acid is a chemical that’s become more popular than ever, and it is being used across several industries. Safer than sodium hypochlorite and less expensive than other chemicals, peracetic acid (or PAA) is a flexible solution that has a wide range of applications. Companies use PAA for anything from clean-in-place and disinfecting to mold prevention, and experts expect the use of peracetic acid to continue growing. Check out our latest blog and podcast on PAA here.
Topics:
Chemicals
Safe and effective chemical storage is expensive, and it might be tempting to purchase a chemical storage system without the added cost of a solid warranty, or with no warranty at all. The problem with that approach is that it might actually cost more in the long term to pay for expensive replacements and repairs.
Topics:
Value Added
Get ready to kick off 2018 safely! Every polyethylene chemical storage tank, regardless of its age, should be inspected at least once a year. Conducting a careful and thorough visual inspection assures the safety of employees, protects the integrity of the chemicals stored, and helps extend the life of the tank.
Topics:
Value Added
Planning to install a new Poly Processing chemical tank or do any work on an installed tank? Don’t do anything until you have the most current Operation and Maintenance Manual. We have overhauled our O&M Manual page with some significant changes that may affect you—whether you have a brand-new tank or a 20-year-old tank.
Our polyethylene chemical storage tanks can safely store many types of chemicals, but different chemicals call for different solutions. Never purchase a chemical tank system without first ensuring that the tank is built to store the chemical you’re using.
If you’re installing a sidewall fitting on a chemical storage tank, you’re actually creating new opportunities for leaks and chemical attack. Every hole drilled into a tank’s wall can become a weak point in your tank. You can prevent a breach in your tank’s system by carefully selecting your fittings.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
Some chemical storage tank applications require a fixed ladder to get above the tank for inspections, check gauges, and maintain level sensors or mixers. These fixed ladders connect to a walkthrough, or landing platform, allowing you to do your work. Poly Processing does not allow walking on the dome of the tank at any time due to it being plastic as well as a slippery and unstable surface.
Can you name one of the most common things companies forget to consider when purchasing a tank? Surprisingly, many operations do not consider how they will fully discharge their tanks in advance of purchasing it. It’s not until afterward that they realize the need to find a solution. However, this decision should be made in advance because it is a critical part of tank maintenance and chemical purity process.
Topics:
Chemicals
Regardless of the chemical that you are storing, nearly every chemical releases fumes. Yet, some chemicals, like hydrochloric acid, acetic acid and hydrofluoric acid, produce fumes that can’t be released into the atmosphere. These fumes are very aggressive. They can harm your chemical storage tank, your equipment, and your employees.
Topics:
Chemicals
Secondary containment is an important safeguard that helps plant operators mitigate the risks associated with chemical spills and avoid damage to equipment and property. In this system, a secondary container or wall encompasses the primary container. Should the primary container fail and cause a chemical leak, the secondary container prevents the chemical from spilling outside the system.
Customers often ask us how to dispose of a chemical storage tank once it has reached the end of its useful life. Even though we do not offer disposal services, we can offer you guidance for proper chemical tank disposal. Here is the fundamental information you need to know before you haul away your polyethylene chemical storage tank.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Did you know that every chemical storage tank has a stock number and a serial number? One will help you order your tank, and one will help you identify the tank you’ve purchased. It can be easy to get confused about which number you need to know, what it tells you, and when you need it. But at Poly Processing, we want you to be well-educated and fully informed about our products, and your individual tanks. So here’s a quick breakdown on storage tank serial numbers and stock numbers.
At Poly Processing, we do everything we can to make sure your chemical storage tank installation is as simple as possible. By working together, we aim to help you minimize the threat of potential problems.
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News and Customer Stories
Cone-bottom tanks have an active drain feature at the bottom of the tank, making it possible to completely empty a tank—especially one that contains sludge or other difficult-to-drain contents. But cone-bottom tanks come with a price tag, and there’s another option that can meet the same need for less cost. Poly Processing’s Integrally Molded Flanged Outlet® (IMFO®) tank is a vertical storage tank that can give you a full drain at less cost than a cone-bottom tank system. IMFO tanks provide other advantages, as well.
Topics:
Fittings and Accessories
When it comes to providing you with the newest innovations in polyethylene chemical storage tanks, Poly Processing stays ahead of the curve. From linear polyethylene parts and cross-linked polyethylene to full drainage systems and tank fittings - we’ve uncovered everything you need to know to safely store chemicals in our article featured in Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine’s June publication. Our marketing team is sharing these insights and more in today’s blog, but you can also access the article on pages 40 to 42 by browsing here.
A chemical storage tank is a small portion of the cost of your multi-million-dollar wastewater treatment plant—but if the tank fails, it could shut down your entire facility. Then the wrong chemical storage tank becomes a costly liability that doesn’t just add expense, but also potential danger and stress.
Need a new chemical tank right away? We’re no strangers to fulfilling tank orders with quick turnaround times. We’ve helped companies who need a storage tank fast, for all sorts of reasons—another linear or FRP tank has failed and they need to replace it immediately, or they forgot to place an order and they’re in a rush to get a tank right now.
Topics:
Chemicals
In 2014, the water storage systems market in North America was valued at $2.45 billion, and it’s projected to top $4 Billion by 2020. As freshwater resources are becoming more scarce in growing population centers, and concerns over water conservation are increasing, potable water storage is becoming a big deal. Municipalities, commercial industries, and even residential markets need to make the most of their potable water storage systems.
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Applications,
News and Customer Stories
Secondary containment systems are recommended and more andmore required safeguards that can prevent costly damage to equipment and risk to employees if a primary storage vessel is breached. There are several secondary containment options with varying costs, and concrete containment is a popular industry standard. But you may be surprised when you compare the true costs of a poured in place concrete system to Poly Processing’s sophisticated, integrated, double wall tank containment system, the SAFE-Tank®.
Three of the most challenging industries for storing chemicals are also areas we’ve serviced for over 30 years. The plating, mining, and high-tech industries each use aggressive chemicals, and they require chemical storage solutions that can handle highly corrosive compounds. Top companies in the mining, plating, and high-tech industries trust Poly Processing’s innovative technologies to safely contain highly corrosive chemical solutions. Our OR-1000™ and IMFO® tank components are unparalleled when it comes to durability and reliability. Here’s why these industries use our chemical storage solutions:
Topics:
Applications
Odor control is an essential priority for all wastewater treatment plants. Hydrogen sulfide forms in wastewater and creates a strong odor that can be detected in water, and even in surrounding neighborhoods near the treatment plants.
Topics:
Chemicals
Industries that use chemicals and solutions with special chemical standards have to keep a close watch on the storage solutions they rely on. Chemical storage tanks that are susceptible to corrosion or bacterial growth are costly to maintain and replace, and great care must be taken to ensure that the stored materials are preserved.
Topics:
Applications
Selecting the proper tank fitting—and location for the fitting—is an important matter. You need the right fitting for your application, and it’s not always easy to understand which one is the best choice for your needs.
Topics:
Installation and Service,
Fittings and Accessories
Steel tanks and vessels provide exceptional strength, but they’re susceptible to chemical corrosion. Any steel tank used for storing harmful chemicals will need to be protected with some form of internal lining/liner. A polyethylene lining system is designed to protect your steel tank against the harshest chemicals to give you broad chemical resistance alongside the durability and strength of a steel tank.
Topics:
Tank Design and Materials
Storing sulfuric acid is no cake walk. Sulfuric acid presents serious storage challenges that you need to be fully prepared to handle:
Topics:
Chemicals
How do you know by looking at a chemical storage tank how well it’s constructed? There’s a big difference between a well-designed, properly constructed tank and an inexpensive one that doesn’t meet structural requirements. But it takes more than the naked eye to spot critical flaws.
Topics:
Certifications and Standards
The pharmaceutical industry has a history of using stainless steel storage tanks due to the belief that the resins in a polyethylene storage tank would allow leaching and bacterial growth with pharmaceutical products. But stainless steel tanks have drawbacks. Because they can contain chemical attack points, the tanks require expensive coatings and ongoing maintenance and inspection. Seams and welding spots are especially prone to compromise.
Topics:
Applications
