About Plastic Tanks and Plastic Tank Manufacturers Including:
Poly Tanks, Polypropylene
Tanks, Septic Tanks, Storage
Tanks & Water Tanks.
Plastic tanks, also called poly tanks, store substances utilized in industrial processes, such as water, sewage, petroleum and chemicals. Polypropylene tanks and polyethylene tanks are utilized in numerous industries, particularly in agricultural, oil/gas, water, waste treatment, medical, scientific, food processing and pharmaceutical industries. Plastic tanks differ in size and capacity, ranging from small tanks holding a few gallons to tanks exceeding 35 feet in length, with a storage capacity of 50,000 gallons or more. Common plastic tanks include water tanks, septic tanks, chemical tanks, storage tanks, fuel tanks, gas tanks and double wall tanks.
Plastic tanks are formed using either a molding or a welding process. Plastic tank molding, including rotational, blow and injection molding, involves using a model shape to form the tank. Plastic tank welding is a process in which two pieces of heat-softened plastic are joined through the application of pressure. Examples of this process are hot air and extrusion welding. The structure of the plastic tank varies. Common tank shapes include cylindrical, square, rectangular, hexagonal and octagonal. The heads and bottoms of plastic tanks also differ, according to their functions. For example, conical bottom tanks, which resemble a funnel, allow tank contents to flow quickly to the bottom of the tank, promoting easy tank drainage. Head and bottom shapes of plastic tanks include angular, spherical and conical. Plastic tank orientations include vertical and horizontal styles. Tanks can vary shape and size, even within the same type of application; for example, water tanks can be cylindrical, square, or funnel-shaped, and can hold anywhere from a couple gallons of water to tens of thousands.
Storage tanks are formed from a wide variety of plastic materials which are chosen based on properties of chemical resistance, strength, sanitary grade and porosity. Polyethylene (PE), a light, chemically- resistant thermoplastic, is the most commonly used plastic resin. Polyethylene resins used to fabricate plastic tanks include linear high density (HDLPE), cross-linked high density (XLPE) and linear low density (LLDPE) resins. Polypropylene (PP) is a light, durable thermoplastic that is denser, stiffer and stronger than polyethylene and has a high melting point. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a durable, transparent thermoplastic that is resistant to non-essential oils but cannot be exposed to some solvents. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a durable thermoplastic that has high resistance to chemicals and abrasion, qualities which are highly valued in chemical, gas and sewage storage.
Plastic tanks have several advantages over the traditional steel tanks. Their seamless construction provides them with greater impact strength and superior resistance to rust, corrosion and fuel additives, with a fraction of the weight of traditional steel and stainless steel tanks. Plastic tanks are virtually indestructible tanks and have a longer lifespan than steel tanks, which can corrode, fracture and leak; plastic storage tanks can easily be molded to fit tank compartments, unlike metal tanks, and are simple to install. Poly resin materials and fabrication are far less costly than raw steel materials and fabrication, giving plastic tanks overall savings in size, weight and cost.
Types of Plastic Tanks
- are
tanks in which sediment and other precipitate settle.
-
provide superior protection against spillage of hazardous chemicals.
Double wall tanks are used especially in high-pressure applications.
-
are tanks in which a thermoplastic lining - consisting of resins,
such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylidene fluoride
- is bonded to a fiberglass structure for reinforcement.
- tanks are manufactured from a combination of resin and
glass and are rust-proof and long-lasting. FRP tanks formed from FDA-accepted
raw materials are acceptable for potable (fit to drink) water.
-
are used as primary or secondary storage for drinking water, water reserves
and fire safety. The use of plastic water tanks is increasing, as the
availability of drinking water to the consumer is decreasing.
- are more durable, provide more chemical and corrosion
resistance, require less maintenance and cost less than comparable steel
and fiberglass tanks. Poly tanks are used in the water treatment and
chemical processing industries for such hazardous fluids as sodium hypochlorite,
sulfuric acid, caustic soda and hydrochloric acid.
-
provide excellent chemical and corrosion resistance, have a wide operating
temperature, high rigidity and good structural strength and can be easily
fabricated and welded using hot air, extrusion and fusion equipment.
Polypropylene tanks are ideal for a variety of electroplating
applications and are increasingly being used in the demanding environment
of steel process plants.
- are on-site sewage treatment systems that store waste materials in a large plastic tank.
- are plastic containers used to store various substances in industrial settings.
- are plastic storage containers designed to hold water.
Common Terms Related to Plastic Tanks, Water Tanks,
Storage Tanks, Septic Tanks, Plastic Tanks, Poly Tanks, Plastic Storage
Tank, and Chemical Storage Tank.
-
A substance added to a polymer to increase the effectiveness, but not
the strength, of the polymer. Examples of additives include flame-retardants,
anti-static compounds, pigments and lubricants.
- The process in
which atmospheric force is applied to a laminate using an elastic or woven
material.
- A flaw that forms
between the laminate layers or between the laminate and the gel coat film
of a fiberglass tank.
(http://www.iqsdirectory.com/blow-molding/)
- The formation of a hollow object, such as plastic tanks, by using air
to expand a hollow tube, called a parison, against the internal walls
of a mold.
- The process in which
a mold is filled with a mixture of resin, fillers and/or fibers to form
the end product, such as plastic tanks.
- A process
in which layers of polymer and reinforcement materials are applied to
a single or open mold, producing one finished cosmetic side.
- A polymer made up
of two monomers in which each repeating unit in the chain consists of
units of both monomers.
- Very thin cracks in
a polymeric material caused by chemicals or other agents, such as ultraviolet
radiation.
- The
length of the molecular or monomeric units in a polymer chain. The degree
of polymerization determines the properties of the polymer.
- The breakdown
of a polymer to its original monomers or to a polymer of a lower molecular
weight. Depolymerization often occurs when a polymer is exposed to chemicals
or certain environmental conditions, such as high temperatures.
- A piece of equipment,
usually consisting of metal, through which a substance, such as plastic,
is forced in order to provide shape to the substance such as the shape
used in creation of plastic tanks.
(http://www.iqsdirectory.com/plastic-extrusions/)
- In plastic shaping, the process of softening plastic through the
application of heat and pushing the plastic through a die.
- Typically inert organic
or inorganic material that is added to resins, plastics or gel coats,
in order to change the properties, increase volume or decrease the cost
of the end product.
-
Also called GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) GRP
(glass reinforced plastic) or RP (reinforced plastic)
it is a durable, rust-proof material that is a combination of glass and
resin.
- A surface coat of
colored or clear polyester resin that cosmetically enhances fiberglass
laminate and provides it with good weatherability.
- The process in
which fiberglass and resin layers are built up manually using hand rollers,
spray equipment and brushes.
- The
process of joining two pieces of plastic by blowing heated air or gas
to melt the plastic pieces.
(http://www.iqsdirectory.com/plastic-molding/)
- The process of creating an object, such as a tank, by applying
pressure to molten plastic in order to push the plastic into a mold. The
mold is then cooled to produce the final plastic form.
- A composite formed
by lamination, a process in which thermoset polymers and fiber reinforcement
are layered.
- A hollow, heat-resistant
container in which liquid substances can be formed into solid shapes by
allowing the fluid to solidify within the mold cavity.
- The most basic polymeric
unit, usually a liquid or a gas, consisting of molecules from the same
organic substance.
- The ability of
liquids and gases to flow through a substance. Low permeability is advantageous
in plastic tank resins.
(http://www.iqsdirectory.com/plastic-materials/)
- A material whose essential ingredient is an organic substance
of large molecular weight and whose end state is solid. Plastics can be
shaped by flow at some stage of the manufacturing process.
- A material added
to a plastic to make it more workable and flexible.
- Two or more monomers
bonded together through a chemical reaction. Each polymer consists of
a chain of repeating monomers.
- Water fit for
human consumption. Typicaly dispensed form plastic water tanks.
- Petroleum
or any hazardous substance stored in an industrial tank. Hazardous substances
are defined in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (CERCLA).
- Substance added
to a polymer to increase the strength of the plastic. Examples include
clay, mica and glass fibers.
- A class of polymers,
or plastics, chemically different to naturally occurring resins, which
are sticky substances obtained from certain trees and plants. Examples
of resins include polyethylene, polyurethane and acrylics.
(http://www.iqsdirectory.com/rotational-molding/)
- Also called rotomolding it is the formation of
a hollow object, such as a tank, by simultaneously rotating and heating
a mold filled with thermoplastic resin powder. As the mold rotates, the
resin evenly coats the mold walls and is then cooled into the final form,
providing seamless molding at a low manufacturing cost.
- Cracking that
occurs as a result of mechanical stress. In most cases, tiny cracks caused
from exposure of the plastic to chemicals or ultraviolet radiation are
already present, so that when stress is applied to the plastic, the cracks
enlarge and spread, creating a greater fracture.
- Category of
plastics that have the potential to soften and reform when heated, and
harden again during cooling. During the process, the physical makeup of
the plastic does not change.
- Category of plastics
that cannot be reformed upon reheating. Thermosets remain permanently
hard.
-
Plastic tanks system storing a regulated substance, such as petroleum, in which
at least 10% of the plastic tanks, plastic tank piping and other equipment associated with
the tank is located underground.