Chemical tanks: plastic or stainless steel?

Production facilities requiring chemical tanks traditionally have used stainless steel chemical tanks. However there are numerous applications where plastic or polyethylene chemical tanks can be used as well.

Here is a brief discussion on the merits and demerits of plastic chemical tanks for industrial use:

Application specifics: In some cases, stainless steel is a better choice but before decisions are made, some more information on application specifics is required.  Pressure differentials during the filling/emptying stage must be considered; rigid stainless steel is potentially better able to handle substantial pressure differentials. However, polyethylene chemical tanks can be fitted with equipment that helps to balance pressure differentials and maintain integrity.

Temperature: Most poly chemical tanks are not designed to be used at prolonged temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. If the stored chemical/processing operation is likely to exceed this temperature for sustained temperatures, then stainless chemical tanks will be the answer.

Chemical properties: Plastic chemical tanks of high quality have been thoroughly tested and manufacturers will be able to supply advice and recommendations as to which chemicals at what concentrations are suitable. Cheaper stainless steel tanks can be prone to corrosion – do not automatically assume any stainless steel chemical tank will be better than a plastic chemical tank.

Cost comparison: Even the cheapest stainless steel chemical tank will usually be twice as costly than a polyethylene chemical tank. A ‘cheap’ stainless steel tank is potentially a costly mistake; if plastic chemical tanks suit the application, rather choose a high quality plastic tank – saving money in the short and long term.

Some further advantages of plastic chemical tanks: Plastic chemical tanks are generally available in a much wider spectrum of colours, shapes and sizes. Colour co-ordination is very important in some industrial processes so that dangerous chemicals are always assigned a certain colour. Stainless chemical tanks need to have bold labelling or otherwise coated to achieve the same distinction. Certain chemical tanks can also be made translucent so the level of the contents can be ascertained at a glance (whereas stainless chemical tanks need electronic or manual level indicators). Polyethylene chemical tanks are made from material that is chemically inert (even high quality stainless steel chemical tanks are potentially prone to corrosion during processes such as ultra pure water applications). If a poly chemical tank is accidentally damaged, it is usually a simple process to repair by using a plastic welding process. Stainless steel chemical tanks need professional and costly welding techniques to repair cracks.

Polyethylene chemical tanks are available from a number of manufacturers in South Africa, some are not of acceptable quality and may compromise safety. We recommend poly chemical tanks made by JoJo Tanks who have more than 30 years experience in this industry. Click on the links below to view the wide range of JoJo chemical tanks, JoJo water tanks, JoJo tank stands and other high quality JoJo Tanks products.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of products such as plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands as well as other high quality JoJo Tanks products.  See JoJo Tanks’ VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS (transporter tanks), STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS and see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.