Crosslinked Polyethylene and FRP Tanks: Which Is A Better Option?

Choosing the right storage tank is a major safety concern for most manufacturing businesses. These tanks are fragile and can be easily damaged by vacuum or overpressure. The damage can also result in interruption of production, loss of raw material, and onsite injuries.

In this post, we will compare two of the most common storage tank options. Let’s take a look:

Polyethylene

Polyethylene tanks are entirely made from food-grade polyethylene. These tanks are the perfect combination of lightweight, durable, and more cost-effective than most other materials. This makes it easier to install and maintain. Since plastic is generally flexible, these tanks can be molded into a variety of shapes and styles. Poly tanks also come in a variety of colors to match them with the rest of your interior design.

Another huge advantage of poly tanks is that they’re non-corrosive. If you plan on using the tank for rainwater harvesting, you need not worry about the rainwater tainting it. The high-density crosslinked polyethylene, in particular, is very resistive to all sorts of abrasive chemicals. As a result, you don’t need additional expensive coating and applications. Since there are interior coatings and seams, maintenance and inspection are also less of a hassle.

However, there is a significant drawback associated with poly tanks. Unlike concrete tanks, poly and plastic tanks are not lined with lime. Lime is alkaline and helps reduce the acidity of the rainwater. If you have copper plumbing throughout the house, you need to be extra careful. This is because rainwater is acidic and can cause the copper in your pipes to leak if left for some time. As a result, you could incur more repair expenses.

FRP Tanks

Just like polyethylene tanks, FRP tanks are also lightweight, durable, and have high tensile strength. They also have sturdy exteriors and are widely used across several industries. The industrial uses of FRP tanks range from sewage tanks to underground storage. Unlike poly tanks, FRP tanks offer far greater customizability in terms of fitting and features. They also have a large capacity of up to 24,000 gallons.

Besides acid corrosion, FRP tanks are also resistant to stress, conductivity, adverse weather conditions, and heat. They’re less flammable when it comes to welding and doesn’t leave any trace metal contamination in the stored product. Other than that, the elongation of resins and adhesive strength also prevents equipment absorption. These benefits don’t exist in the case of poly tanks.

Since FRP tanks are incredibly lightweight, you can easily get them installed on your rooftop without paying for a crane to lift it.

FRP tanks are more resistant to tanks, compared to poly tanks. Since these are manufactured as a completely sealed unit, the walls are watertight. This prevents the ingress of gases and fluids into the tank and dilution of the stored product. It also prevents chemicals from leaking out of the tank.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, FRP tanks offer a more comprehensive range of benefits for industrial purposes. Cost-saving is one of the biggest goals for any business entity. Due to the presence of Fiberglass units, the glass resin interior surface of an FRP tank is smooth and doesn’t adhere to any chemical particles. This prevents the build-up of products and reduces equipment downtime and maintenance costs.

If you’re looking for a reliable tank option with reduced costs, contact Hudson Fiberglass. We are an FRP Pipe Repair, tank installation, repairs, and inspections service based in Watertown, FL. Get in touch for details about custom fiberglass work.