10 Preliminary Questions before Storing a Chemical Product

... A chemical product to store? Operating Instructions

Every single chemical product conceals some risks and storage properties. Below, you will find10 preliminary questions you should ask yourself before storing a chemical. 

Question 1- What kind of chemical would you like to store?

The choice of the tank and its characteristics depend, on a great deal, on the chemical product. 

Stockage & Systèmes provides you a list of the 20 most used chemicals, describing specific advise to be taken into account when choosing your tank.

Question 2 - What do you intend to use the tank for?

• For permanent storage
• For buffer storage
• For mixing or diluting
• For making chemical reactions

• Every corrosive product has specific data (corrosion coefficient, density, etc). Stockage & Systèmes must be informed of the chemical product to be stored in order to validate the compatibility of the material (s) used.

 

• Mixing certain chemicals between themselves or with water could provoke exothermic or endothermic reactions.

 

• A chemical product resulting from the mixture of other chemicals could have totally different corrosive properties (and even more dangerous than those of the original products initially used for the mixture).

 

• Stockage & Systèmes must receive the characteristics and properties of products resulting from the mixture in order to define and choose the suitable material for the storage tank manufacturing.

 

• Mixing certain chemicals could provoke the release of harmful and highly toxic vapours. See Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
  

• Between -45 et +45 °C : we recommend a HDPE tank (depending on the product)

 

• Between -10 et +90°C : we recommend a PPH tank (depending on the product)

Storage temperature not only depends on specific characteristics of the storing chemical, but also on:

 

• the product's temperature range at the time it is being delivered and while the tank is being filled.

• possible exothermic reactions resulting from dilution or mixing.

• minimum and maximum outdoor temperature (depending on variations between regions or countries where the tanks will be installed).

• room temperature (in the case of an indoor installation).

Question 4 - How much product do you need to store?

Stockage & Systèmes disposes of a wide range of tanks of different size and volume to fulfil your needs.

See size of available tanks

Even if choosing the tank size is your personal decision, you should consider, however, respecting the following rules:

 

• Take into consideration the product delivery volume, which may vary depending on: the volume of mobile containers; tank trucks' maximum tonnage, or the size of compartmented tank-truck bodies.

• Leave an empty volume of around 20/30 cms at the top of the tank: this will avoid surcharges or spillages.

• Leave some space within a stirred tank so that the chemical does not spill outside the tank.

• Leave a safety buffer volume: a tank must never be completely emptied prior to refilling in order to avoid the break of the supply.

Our technicians are willing to help you adapt the storage tanks to the normal delivery volume for each chemical product.

 

For more information, please contact one of our Marketing technicians.

The main criteria depends on whether you need a Spill Containment or not. Deciding not to use a Spill Containment depends, at the same time, on the chemical hazard.

 

Using or discarding a spill containment depends on the chemical's nature:

• Is it a hazardous product?
• Must it be stored on top of a spill containment or in a double-wall tank?
  

Ex : For water storage, a spill containment is not necessary. However, to store sulphuric acid or ferric chloride, a spill containment or double-wall tank is imperative.

 

For more information about products requiring a Spill Containment, please, contact us.

Question 6 - How and when to discharge the containment?

The question to be asked from the designing phase is: Must the product be 100% discharged?

 

This is an essential element for the design of your tank or storage installation.

Tank Discharge: Some guidelines

• A tank intended to store different products should be completely discharged. 

 

• For rinsing, it may be necessary to completely discharge a tank intended to store a chemical having a risk of settling.

 

• Discharge can be done either by an inclined bottom and a nozzle (orifice discharge) at the tank lower part, or by a flat bottom including an elbow (nozzle below the tank)

It is imperative to let us know your choice from the beginning of the project.