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.

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 are dedicated to helping you store your materials safely.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

Poly Processing is introducing a new, stronger-than-ever chemical tank pad called PolyBase that’s engineered to handle more pressure and larger tanks. We have always manufactured rotationally molded PolyBase systems for our IMFO® Tanks, and now we’re offering an innovative structural foam-based IMFO PolyBase option.

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.

Many industrial chemical applications involve mixing to create a different product, 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 being mixed can be safely combined. There are two basic types of mixing systems that our tanks use—mechanical mixers and pumps.