About Industrial Drums and Industrial Drum Manufacturers
Including: 55
Gallon Drums, Fibre
Drums, Plastic
Barrels, Plastic
Drums, Steel
Barrels & Steel Drums.
Industrial drums are large, cylindrical industrial containers that are mainly used for shipping and storage applications. One of the oldest types of containers, industrial drums are primarily for transporting and storing bulk goods, which are most often liquids. As a result, steel and plastic industrial drum manufacturers often strengthened their drums with corrugations, also referred to as reinforcing rings, of the thickened material at the top, bottom and one each at a third of the way from the end in order to strengthen the sides of the barrels in order to prevent denting or puncturing when rolled or turned. Two common industrial 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. Industrial 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 size in shipping applications is a
55 gallon drum, meaning the drum has a nominal capacity of 55 gallons. Industrial 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.
Industrial drums are typically sorted into three main categories:
steel drums,
plastic drums and
fiber drums. 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 industrial 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.
Types of Industrial Drums
- are the standard-sized drums used for storage and shipping.
-
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.
- ,
also called "tight head drums," have a permanent lid with
a small opening to allow for the pouring out of the material enclosed.
- are shipping and storage containers made of heavy paperboard materials.
-
often use removable heads, as opposed to closed head drums.
- are used to transport and store liquids.
- are rust-proof alternatives to steel 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.
-
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.
-
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.
- are closed-top drums used to ship and store liquids.
Common Terms Related to Industrial Drums
- 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.
- Large storage containers,
particularly those with capacities greater than 2,000 gallons.
- The amount of space
provided inside a container such as a steel drum or plastic drum, for a specific amount of product.
- A mechanism on the
opening of a container such as a steel drum or plastic drum, used to protect container contents and prevent
leakage.
- The incorrect application
of a closure of a container a such as a steel drum or plastic drum, which may result in content leakage.
- A closure of a container a
such as a steel drum or plastic drum, that has a
rounded top surface.
- A protective seal made
of a thin, soft substance, such as cork, that provides extra protection
against container spillage.
- 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.
- A material
unsuitable for recycling and reuse. Because these substances pose health
threats, strict guidelines exist for proper disposal.
- The susceptibility
of plastics to break due to shock.
- A protective coating
applied to steel drums and plastic drums interiors. Possible coatings include polyethylene (PE),
polyester and silicone.
- An extra closure,
commonly made of foil or aluminum, that tamper-proofs the primary
closure on steel drums and plastic drums.
- 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.
- The torque
force required to unscrew a closure from a container, measured in pounds
per inch.
- 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.
- The joining point of
two edges of a material to create a whole.
- 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.