Industrial & Manufacturing Articles
If you are installing an underground tank to hold gas on your property for an emergency, you need to take steps to protect it from corrosion. Unfortunately, when objects are buried, they tend to break down even faster than normal, and because of that, you need to keep the following risks of corrosion in mind as you select your tank:
1. The nature of the soil on your land
Soil can have a lot of corrosive properties, but they vary depending on the type of soil in question. In order to choose the best tank materials and best coating for your area, you need to sample the soil. There are soil-testing companies who will take a few jars of soil and provide you with a chemical analysis of it.
Factors that affect corrosiveness of soil include aeration levels, salt content and the acidity of the soil. Chloride ions can also break down the metal of an underground tank. If you have high levels of salt, acids or chloride ions, your tanks needs a strong anti-corrosive coating.
2. Protection from electrical currents
Ideally, when you have your soil analyzed, you should have its electrical conductivity levels checked as well. These levels vary based on moisture levels and the presence of certain elements in the soil.
If your analysis suggests that your soil is relatively electrified, you should have a dielectric coating put on your underground gas storage tank, as well. A dielectric coating prevents electrical currents from moving through the soil and into your tank. This is especially important if you have a metal tank that is likely to attract and conduct electrical currents, and it is critical because your tank is full of gasoline—an electrical spark could easily cause the contents of your tank to ignite or explode.
3. Coatings and anticorrosion measures for auxiliary elements
In many cases, your underground storage tank may work with other elements. It may be connected to pipes, fittings, pumps, or other items. Since these elements are at least partly underground, they also need to be coated to resist corrosion.
In particular, fittings that connect directly to the tank need to be well coated. If not, corrosion may occur in the spaces between the connectors, and that could allow gas vapors to escape or force you to replace your tank earlier than usual.
4. Alternatives to metal
In many cases, people use metal underground storage containers, and there are a lot of options within that category. You can choose a metal tank with coating, a metal tank with cathodic protection, or metal tank with both of those elements. Then, you can choose which sort of internal lining you need and other special elements.
However, metal tanks are not the only option. Alternatively, you may opt to bypass metal and use a tank that is made of materials that are naturally resistant to corrosion. Synthetic materials, such as fiberglass-reinforced plastic, can work well. Fiberglass-reinforced plastic doesn't corrode like metal, meaning you don't have to worry about coatings.
In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency requires gas stations to use underground storage tanks made of double-wall fiberglass-reinforced plastic. As a homeowner, you are exempt from that requirement as long as your tanks hold less than 1,100 gallons and you are using the gas for noncommercial purposes. However, if you want your tank to last as long as possible, you may want to consider using plastic instead of metal.
Want to learn more about avoiding corrosion in your underground tank? Contact a tank expert fore more information about materials, designs, and coating options and further tips that will keep your investment in good condition for longer.
Share16 May 2016
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