Stainless Steel Tanks

About Stainless Steel Tanks and Stainless Steel Tank Manufacturers Including: Dairy Tanks, Stainless Steel Storage Tanks, Stainless Steel Water Tanks, Stainless Tanks & Steel Tanks.

Stainless steel tanks hold a variety of substances including food, beverages, chemicals, gases and water. Sizes range from one gallon to millions of gallons. Stainless steel storage tanks are often large vessels. They are usually cylindrical like drums, but are not limited in shape. Stainless steel tank manufacturers either make their products with a horizontal or vertical orientation. Although many stainless steel tanks serve as storage containers for bulk materials, they also serve as pressure vessels and reactors in many industrial applications. Stainless steel pressure vessels and reactor tanks may be much smaller vessels, especially when used in pharmaceutical and scientific applications.
 
Stainless steel tanks are thin-walled constructions. Although stainless steel is strong, it is vulnerable to buckling when the material is thin. Stainless steel tanks are most vulnerable during construction, transportation and installation. The contents of the stainless steel tanks actually aid its stability. The shape of the tank is dependent on its diameter or height and the efficient use of material. Stainless steel tank manufacturers can make the ends of their products flat or in the shape of a dome or cone. In determining the size that a tank needs to be, consider how much extra volume should be included to cover for future process needs, such as thermal expansion or foaming, and also filling control, especially in the applications that require high speed pumping. The industrial applications in which stainless steel tanks are utilized determine tank properties such as size, shape and orientation.
 
Stainless steel tank manufacturers supply numerous industries, including agricultural, food and beverage processing, medical, chemical and wastewater/sewage. They are typically put into use when hygiene or corrosion is a concern. These tanks are advantageous in many applications because of the number of benefits of stainless steel material. Stainless steel is corrosion resistant, which makes it useful in the storage of hazardous substances. When corrosion does occur, it is usually localized. Pitting begins in places where the protective oxide film is weakened, while crevice corrosion occurs at physical crevices, such as joints between two overlapping sheets of stainless steel. Stainless steel is also resistant to extremes in temperature, strong, easy to fabricate and clean. Strength of material that has good thermal conductivity and thermal expansion rate is not usually important, except in the case of pressure vessels, which are usually made from duplex steel.  
 
Leaking of storage tanks is always a big concern. Toxins can seep into surrounding vegetation and underground water supplies. Tanks should be regularly tested, either by pressure testing, subsurface testing or full tank removal. Emergency bilge pumps are designed to deal with leakages. They can pump out the rest of the fluids in a leaking tank or soil content that is contaminated. Submersible pumps are designed to be installed completely immersed within a tank. Oil-filled cavities of submersible pump motors protect them from contact with the transfer media. Submersible pumps can treat groundwater, extract pollutants or even remove the fluids completely.

Stainless Steel Tanks and Stainless Steel Tank Manufacturers Images Provided by Walker Engineered Products

Types of Stainless Steel Tanks

• Aseptic tanks are sterile sealed and steam locked in order to prevent the entrance of biological agents.
  
• Calandrias are tanks made for filtration-filter cartridges.
  
• Dewars are pressure vessels created to sustain extremely low, cryogenic temperatures, ranging from -250° C to -100° C (-418° F to -148° F). Stainless steel is often a suitable material for dewars because it can withstand damage associated with very low temperatures.
  
• Hydropneumatic tanks are pressure vessels in which both liquids and gases are collected.
  
• Stainless steel beverage tanks commonly store liquid drinking products such as ale, wine, soda and juice.
  
• Stainless steel dairy tanks are used to store dairy products. Upkeep of dairy tanks must comply with the standards of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  
• Stainless steel pressure vessels store substances at pressure levels greater than that of atmospheric pressure. In some cases, pressure tanks may also refer to those tanks that store substances at pressure levels lower than that of atmospheric pressure.
  
• Stainless steel reactors alter the condition of a substance through the application of heat and pressure. Reactor tanks are used to lower the toxicity of a substance and initiate chemical and nuclear reactions, such as fission.
  
• Stainless steel sanitary tanks must adhere to the strict hygienic standards of regulatory bodies, such as the FDA and the USDA, and are used in the medical, chemical and food processing industries, among many other industries. Because stainless steel is easy to clean, the metal is a common choice for applications in which cleanliness and hygiene remain extremely important.
  
• Stainless steel silos are vertical, cylindrical vessels used for storage of a variety of products. Silos are commonly used in the agricultural industry to store animal feed and crops.
  
• Stainless steel storage tanks hold fluids and solids for future use. Unlike substances in pressure vessels, storage tank substances are generally kept at atmospheric pressure.
  
• Stainless steel water tanks hold water used for different purposes, including drinking and wastewater treatment facilities.
  
• Stainless tanks are used to hold a wide variety of materials and substances.
  
• Steel tanks are containers that are designed for holding and storing various substances.

Stainless Steel Tanks Terms

Atmospheric Pressure – The amount of force the atmosphere exerts upon the surface of the earth, measuring 14.7 psi at sea level. A tank that holds substances at pressure levels greater than 14.7 psi is considered a pressure vessel, while a tank that holds substances at pressure levels lower than 14.7 psi is considered a vacuum.
 
Brittle Fracture – Fracture of certain steels associated with exposure to very low temperatures, often in circumstances in which stress levels have not exceeded yield strength.
 
CIP (Clean-In-Place) Fixtures – Fixtures that provide an efficient and effective way of cleaning a tank without taking it apart. CIP fixtures include sprayballs, dishes and T-balls.
 
Canadian Registration Number (CRN) – A number given to pressure vessels shipped to Canada.
 
Cladding – A stainless steel coating applied to a lower-alloy steel to increase corrosion resistance. Cladding costs less than using stainless steel exclusively and can be applied by pouring, welding or coating.
 
Corrosion Allowance – An increase in vessel shell thickness designed to compensate for the corrosion and abrasion of certain pressure vessels. Protective coatings and linings are also added to pressure vessels to prevent corrosion.
 
Creep – Permanent deformation of steel caused by strength reduction resulting from exposure to high temperatures.
 
Duplex Steel – A type of stainless steel comprised of austenic and ferretic steel, the combination of which is stronger than either of the individual metals. Duplex steels are extremely corrosion and crack resistant.
 
Electropolishing – The removal of imperfections on the surface of stainless steel by dissolving the steel in a solution of electrolytes through which a current of electricity travels.
 
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) – Federal organization responsible for the regulation of food, drugs, medical equipment, cosmetics, etc. The FDA also regulates the storage of such products and maintains standards for stainless steel tanks used in applications involving these products.
 
Fouling – The build-up of deposits comprised of marine organisms that occurs on submerged metal surfaces.
 
Gauge – A measurement of the thickness of steel.
 
Manway – Access port to the internal region of the tank or pressure vessel.
 
National Board Inspection Code – Worldwide standard for pressure vessel inspection, alteration and repair.
 
Psi (Pounds per Square Inch) – Unit that measures the amount of pressure applied to an object. Psi reflects the amount of pressure under which a pressure vessel substance remains.
 
Sanitary Piping – The piping systems between pipes that are interconnected and able to be cleaned.
 
Stainless Steel – Type of steel containing 10 to 12 percent of chromium. Stainless steel is a common choice for tanks because of its corrosion and temperature resistance.
 
USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) – Federal organization regulating many aspects of the agricultural industry. The USDA regulates food supply and promotes the safe processing and storage of meat, dairy products, etc., and maintains strict standards for stainless steel sanitary and dairy tanks.