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.
Acetic acid is used in various concentrations for a variety of purposes, including the following applications:
The particular specifications of your acetic acid storage system will depend on the concentration of acetic acid being stored. The higher the concentration, the more difficult it can be to store acetic acid. Poly Processing tanks can effectively store acetic acid concentrations up to 80%.
To meet the standards listed in our online chemical resistance guides, we highly recommend high-density cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) storage tanks. XLPE tanks are more durable than other kinds of polyethylene tanks and give you a greater useful tank life.
Poly Processing’s SAFE-Tank® double wall tank system is a "tank within a tank" that provides secondary containment to avoid damaging your equipment or property, loss of chemical, or injury to employees in the event of a spill. The tank is designed to keep contaminants from entering the interstitial space, so that any leaked chemical can still be used safely.
The SAFE-Tank Double Wall Tank System:
Add a Bellows transition fitting to maximize your SAFE-Tank® system’s performance.
If you already have sufficient containment designed in your chemical tank system, then the IMFO tank might be the right solution. Poly Processing’s Integrally Molded Flanged Outlet (IMFO®) Tank is a homogenous flange system that is molded as part of the tank while it is being manufactured, making the flange a stress-free part of the tank. The flange is created from the same material as the tank — it’s not an insert added during or post-production.
Advantages of the IMFO Tank include:
Furthermore, you won’t have any chemical compatibility issues like the ones you may encounter with metallic inserts. If the chemical is safe in a crosslinked polyethylene tank, it’s safe discharging out of the IMFO system.
Our online chemical resistance chart shows that all concentrations of acetic acid can be stored at up to 100 degrees F, but only less potent solutions can reach higher temperatures. Many of our fittings and gaskets give you excellent performance, and your specific application will determine the correct package for your needs.
Acetic acid emits corrosive fumes that can damage equipment, harm the environment and injure your employees. Poly Processing offers several products to scrub vapors from tanks by removing or neutralizing the fumes.
Poly Processing offers a cost-effective polyethylene chemical storage tank scrubber solution called PolyScrub™. As a wet scrubber, the PolyScrub system introduces water or a specific scrubbing solution through a submerged plenum. The fumes percolate up and through the scrubbing solution, then vent out of the top of the scrubber system.
PolyScrub Plus is our newest scrubber, which actively monitors and automates pH control to ensure maximum performance.
As a highly corrosive and hazardous chemical, acetic acid needs to be properly handled and stored in storage tanks backed by a company that understands effective storage. With over 45 years of experience in storing acetic acid, we’ve developed storage solution options that use longer-lasting, more robust high-density cross-linked polyethylene.
Some tank manufacturers use linear polyethylene instead of cross-linked polyethylene because XLPE is more expensive to manufacture and more difficult for these larger systems. But we work to meet the highest possible standards.
Learn about designing your own acetic acid storage tank—contact a chemical storage tank expert today.