55 Gallon Drums

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Two common 55 gallon drum types are closed head or open head drums. Closed head drums, also called tight head drums, have a permanent lid with a small opening to allow for the pouring out of the material enclosed, while open head drums feature removable heads. 55 gallon drums are constructed from three types of materials; steel drums, plastic drums and fiber drums. With their applications varying depending on the materials, however size is also a factor. The most common drum sizes are 55 gallons and 30 gallons, although there are 40 and 20 gallon drums. 55 gallon drums cover a wide range of applications in industries such as petroleum, chemical processing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, hazardous waste collection, waste water treatment and agriculture.

55 gallon drums are typically sorted into three main categories of industrial drums: steel, plastic and fiber. Steel drums are made from stainless steel, cold rolled steel or carbon steel. Often referred to as fuel drums, steel drums are most commonly used for pharmaceuticals, fragrances, flammable chemicals and other hazardous substances. Stainless steel drums in particular are used in anti-corrosive and sanitary applications. In addition to 55 gallon, 30 gallon steel drums are also available for non-bulk applications, often used with food products. However, steel barrels can rust when exposed to the elements, causing many companies to prefer non-rusting plastic drums. Extremely strong and rigid, yet light-weight, plastic drums are often called blue barrels because they are typically blue in color. Plastic drums are often used to transport and store acidic and caustic liquids, powders or other materials. Commonly constructed from plastics such as nylon, polystyrene, PVC and HDPE, plastic barrels are ideal for liquid and low viscosity foods, solids and high viscous materials, lubricating oils and chemicals. A low-cost alternative to steel drums, fiber drums are constructed from fiber board or dense paper. The most common application for fibre drums is the transportation of food products, including frozen or refrigerated goods such as cheese and ice cream. However, fiber drums are ideal for shipping or storing dry or solid materials, and are completely incinerable and stackable, as well as being the most easily recycled type of drum.

There are also many different types of 55 gallon storage containers that fit within the three main drum categories, including water barrels, hazardous waste containers and used drums. Water barrels collect and store water through ductwork that is fixed to rooftops of industrial buildings. However, water drums are often used as rain barrels, which are intent of specifically collecting and store rain water runoff. Of all the materials used, plastic water barrels and plastic rain barrels are the most common. Hazardous waste containers is a broad term for a wide range of industrial containers, including chemical drums, salvage drums, 55 gallon steel drums and 55 gallon plastic drums, that are used to store hazardous waste. Defined as any chemical waste that is not otherwise approved for trash or drain disposal, hazardous waste drums store hazardous waste materials including nitric oxide, aerosol cans, caustics, ceramic glazes, fertilizers, grease, disinfectants and gasoline. Used drums, also called reconditioned drums, can include used steel drums, used fiber drums and used plastic drums. An environmentally relevant activity, reconditioning process consists of flushing out and stripping the drum for continued use. Reconditioning is one of the safest methods of removing hazardous waste from used barrels. In addition to the different types of industrial drums, there are industrial drum accessories, an example of which is a drum pump. A drum pump is a pneumatic pump that fits through a standard opening at the top of the drum. Drum pumps are often used in transferring plastisols from industrial drums to dip molding tank reservoirs.

Drums and barrels are for all practical purposes the same thing. Industrial manufacturers use the two terms synonymously, and there is no distinctive structural difference between "drums" and "barrels"; both can be made of plastic, fiberglass or metal, both are used to transport goods, and both have standard sizes, such as the 55 gallon drum. There are only two cases in which a slight distinction is made between drums and barrels. The first is in the oil industry; oil is transported in standard, metal, 42 gallon containers referred to as "oil barrels", not as "drums"; the distinction made between oil "barrels" and drums which transport other material helps clarify volume, which in a standard drum is 55 gallons. The other industry in which a small distinction between drums and barrels is made is in the alcoholic beverage industry, which also refers to its containers as "barrels" and not usually as "drums". Alcoholic beverage industries have traditionally used wooden barrels, and although wooden barrels have largely gone out of use in modern manufacturing, the sanitary-grade stainless steel containers used to ferment and transport beer, wine and liquor are referred to as wine or beer barrels. A distinction is made with beer and wine "barrels" partially out of a linguistic nostalgia for the industry and partially as a way of verbally clarifying a beer or wine barrel's contents as such. Outside of these two industry-specific slight distinctions, the terms "drums" and "barrels" refer to the same item.

55 Gallon Drums and 55 Gallon Drum Manufacturers Image Provided by Container Distributors, Inc.	55 Gallon Drums and 55 Gallon Drum Manufacturers Image Provided by Maxi Container, Inc.

55 Gallon Drums and 55 Gallon Drum Manufacturers Image Provided by Rahway Steel Drum Company

55 Gallon Drum Types

• Agitator drums are used for the mixing and combining of substances, such as paint and concrete. They have an opening in the cover for the entrance of the blades of an agitator, which mixes the substance, and are made most often with metal alloys, such as steel or aluminum.
• Blue barrels are constructed from plastic materials, the color typically signifying that the barrels are capable of FDA-approved transport or storage.
• Closed head drums, also called "tight head drums," have a permanent lid with a small opening to allow for the pouring out of the material enclosed.
• Fiber drums are shipping and storage containers made of heavy paperboard materials.
• Hazardous waste containers are portable devices used to store, transport and in other ways handle waste materials that are harmful to people and/or the environment.  
• Industrial drums are large, cylindrical industrial containers that are mainly used for shipping and storage applications. 
• Metal drums are large, cylindrical containers formed from metallic materials that are used to store or transport liquids or solids, although liquids are much more common.
• Open head drums often use removable heads, as opposed to closed head drums.
• Plastic barrels are used to transport and store liquids.
• Plastic drums are rust-proof alternatives to steel drums.
• Reconditioned drums are plastic or steel vessels that have been reconditioned to ensure optimum repeat use. Most often, the lid of the drum is what is replaced or reconditioned.
  
• Salvage drums are specifically designed for the safe and economic transport and storage of damaged drums. In the unusual event that a steel drum leaks, possibly due to extreme mechanical loading or impact, temporary solutions, such as salvage drums, may be required.
  
• Seamless drums have a smooth, creaseless interior that prevents the unintended trapping of the material being stored. Seamless drums are similar to process drums, which have a welded top curl to prevent entrapment, as well
• Steel barrels are closed-top drums used to ship and store liquids.
• Steel drums are cylindrical corrosion-resistant containers used to transport or store both liquids and solid materials. 
• Used drums are drums that have been previously used for storage and transport applications. 
• Water barrels collect and store water through ductwork that is fixed to the roofs of buildings such as manufacturing facilities and warehouses.

55 Gallon Drum Terms

Barrel - A unit of volume generally ranging from 31 to 42 gallons, depending upon the standard of the industry in which the barrel is used. For example, in the oil and gas industry, one barrel equals 42 gallons; a barrel of beer, however, equals 31 gallons.
 
Bulk Tanks - Large storage containers, particularly those with capacities greater than 2,000 gallons.
 
Capacity - The amount of space provided inside a container such as a steel drum or plastic drum, for a specific amount of product.
 
Closure - A mechanism on the opening of a container such as a steel drum or plastic drum, used to protect container contents and prevent leakage.
 
Cocking - The incorrect application of a closure of a container a such as a steel drum or plastic drum, which may result in content leakage.
 
Dome - A closure of a container a such as a steel drum or plastic drum, that has a rounded top surface.
 
Gasket - A protective seal made of a thin, soft substance, such as cork, that provides extra protection against container spillage.
 
Hazardous Material - A substance designated by the EPA or OSHA as posing a health threat due to toxic, radioactive, or corrosive properties. The storage, transportation and distribution of such substances is strictly regulated to ensure safety.
 
Hazardous Waste - A material unsuitable for recycling and reuse. Because these substances pose health threats, strict guidelines exist for proper disposal.
 
Impact Resistance - The susceptibility of plastics to break due to shock.
 
Lining - A protective coating applied to steel drums and plastic drums interiors. Possible coatings include polyethylene (PE), polyester and silicone.
 
Overseal - An extra closure, commonly made of foil or aluminum, that tamper-proofs the primary closure on steel drums and plastic drums.
 
Reconditioning - Processing steel drums and plastic drums for future reuse. Reconditioning may include cleaning and rinsing of the steel drums or plastic drums interiors and exteriors, abrasive cleaning and painting.
 
Removal Torque - The torque force required to unscrew a closure from a container, measured in pounds per inch.
 
Spout Cap - A device designed to cover the spout from which the pouring of the elements takes place on the lid or cover of steel drums or plastic drums.
 
Seam - The joining point of two edges of a material to create a whole.
 
Tight Head Container - Steel drums or Plastic drums configuration in which the steel drums or plastic drums lids remains attached to the body of the steel drums or plastic drums and cannot be removed.