Tank storage equipment

What type of product is stored in the tank today? Future stored product?

A very important question is what type of product is stored in the tank and whether a different type of product might be stored in the future. The type of product stored is crucial when it comes to selecting the right type of sealing solution and sealing material, as well as ensuring that regulatory safety requirements are met.

Sealing material

  • The sealing material shall be compatible with the stored product, withstand temperature changes and the movements of the floating roof. The metal parts of the seal should be earthed and the non-metallic components should be anti-static. The materials should also be corrosion resistant.
  • If, for example, petrolium is currently stored in the cistern and there is a plan to store ethanol in the future , it is crucial to choose materials that are compatible with the different stored products to ensure that there is no need to change seals unnecessarily.
  • When storing 'white products', such as petrolium, you want to prevent rainwater from entering the cistern, leading to contamination of the stored product and corrosion of the bottom of the tank. To divert rainwater, a sealing solution with a water-repellent membrane is recommended.

Type of sealing solution

  • When crude oil is stored in the cistern, wax builds up on the entire surface of the shell, preventing the seal from proper sealing against the shell surface. This leads to extra maintenance, increased emissions and rainwater entering into the tank. To prevent the build-up of wax on the tank wall surface, a special sealing solution with a wax scraper , is recommended. See pictures below showing a tank wall with or without a wax scraper integrated with the seal.

Without wax scraper

With wax scraper

  • It is also important that ensure that the tank does not contain gas after emptying. A seal made of a material that can absorb stored product will continue to emit gases after the tank has been emptied, posing a safety risk. Our supplier Imhof Tank-Technik does not manufacture and supply sealing solutions using materials that could attract stored product for this very reason.