Are Crosslinked Double Wall Tank Systems Cost Effective?

There’s nothing more important than safely storing and handling hazardous chemicals. It’s your top priority to prevent leaks and spills of dangerous materials that can cause harm to employees, the general public, and property.

The key to reducing risk is a combination of following the proper procedures and relying on the right equipment. If you’re not using the best double wall storage tanks and tank accessories for your application, you may be at risk of containment failure—even if you follow all of the right procedures.

What’s Wrong with Concrete Containment?

Traditionally, chemical containment systems are composed of large, concrete basins that surround a primary storage tank. While this solution adds a layer of protection, it also adds costs, square footage, and high-maintenance complications. If a spill occurs in a concrete secondary containment, the spilled chemical is usually unrecoverable because of contamination. You’ll need to clean out the containment area, replace the lost product, and possibly recoat the concrete basin.

Poly Processing offers a smarter option that eliminates the drawbacks of a concrete containment system. Our SAFE-Tank® double wall tank system reduces the overall footprint, costs, and maintenance.

The SAFE-Tank Double Wall Tank

The SAFE-Tank is a double wall plastic storage tank that provides a “tank-within-a-tank” to safely store chemicals. The system prevents damage and injury from chemical exposure without the need for an additional containment unit.

Double wall tanks offer superior protection against hazardous chemical spills for personnel and the environment. The SAFE-Tank provides a minimum of 110% secondary containment by enclosing the primary storage tank within a poperly designed outer tank. Any chemical leak in the inner tank is fully contained in the outer shell.

The inner tank dome overlaps the outer tank sidewall to help prevent rainwater, debris, and other contaminants from entering the containment area. You can continue to use the chemical until the primary tank is drained and an inspection is performed to find the source of a possible leak. 

Because of the double wall configuration, the SAFE-Tank requires a specialized fitting to ensure that your chemical doesn’t leak when it’s discharged. A unique bellows transition fitting enables the liquid to discharge at the bottom of the tank while maintaining the integrity of the containment. With the bellows transition fitting, safe chemical discharge from the primary tank occurs, allowing for tank expansion and contraction.

Watch the video below to see how the SAFE-Tank® system works.

Advantages of the SAFE-Tank

The SAFE-Tank system offers safe storage of a wide variety of chemicals without the expense of needing to construct permanent containment, such as a concrete basin or vessel. This gives you cost effective flexibility for changing industrial applications. As chemical storage configurations may change to meet dynamic needs, you can move chemical storage without incurring the expense of additional containment structures.

SAFE-Tanks also provide the following advantages for your business:

• 110% secondary containment. The double wall chemical storage tank system uses equalization to provide a minimum of 110% of the working volume of the primary tank.
  
  
• Liquid equalizes in the event of a leak. This allows you to continue using the chemical within the primary tank until the tank system can be emptied, inspected and repaired if necessary.
  
  
• Durable polyethylene. The outer tank is constructed with the same high-density crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) as the inner storage tank. XLPE is specifically engineered to accommodate the demands of chemical storage.
  
  
• Lower costs and maintenance. The self-contained double wall that a SAFE-Tank offers is much less expensive upfront and easier to maintain than a concrete basin.
  
  
• Ideal for sulfuric acid and other harmful chemicals. The double wall storage tank eliminates potential exposure and dangerous chemical reactions, such as sulfuric acid to water.
  
  
• Excellent for outside storage. The secondary containment vessel is sealed from the elements, so that no debris or rainwater can contaminate the chemical being stored.
  
  
• Ideal for sulfuric acid and other harmful chemicals. The double wall storage tank eliminates potential exposure to dangerous chemicals, and reactions to water.
  
  
• Bottom discharge. A bellows transition fitting enables discharge from the bottom of the tank, while maintaining the integrity of the containment. The bellows transition fitting permits safe chemical discharge from the primary tank. It also allows the tank to expand and contract due to filling, emptying, and temperature variation.

The SAFE-Tank is designed with wall thicknesses equal to or greater than that required by ASTM D-1998 standards.

Download our eBook, Secondary Containment Guide

SAFE-Tank Accessories

Poly Processing’s double wall tanks can be customized by adding accessories to fit your specific needs. Some of our most popular double wall tank accessories include:

• Bellows Transition Fitting
• Seismic Restraint Systems
• Wind Restraint Systems
• Ultrasonic level Indicator
• Leak Detection Systems
• Heat Maintenance Systems
• Ladders
• Overflow Assembly

The Smart Chemical Storage Solution

Safe chemical storage is smart chemical storage. The costs associated with damage from a chemical leak or spill are serious for any business. In addition, it is expensive to take a tank offline and interrupt operations for repair. The SAFE-Tank system eliminates these costs, maintenance and safety concerns while reducing the footprint to the area of a standard upright storage tank.

Discover more benefits of a SAFE-Tank, download our guide today.