Storage Tanks

[Digital Oxygen]

Today, I picked up a 500 Gallon round steel tank and a 525 gallon plastic tankk I would like to use both tanks for biodiesel storage (I plan to make a bunch of it over the winter, and use it in the summer ) . I can't remember what kind of plastic the plastic tank is made of, but it's the same style of tank that is used for storing pesticides, water, etc. Big round lid on top, and a 2 inch nipple at the bottom.

My question is, can I store biodiesel in the plastic tank?

Best of all? I paid $150 for both tanks...

 

[Tx_Atty]

Short term containment can be polyethylene. Long term needs to be polypropylene. The polyethylene is not holding up over longer periods of time.

That's about all I can offer....

 

[Digital Oxygen]

Thanks Tx. I dont know which it is, but I will check.

ß

 

[JOAT]

Short term containment can be polyethylene. Long term needs to be polypropylene. The polyethylene is not holding up over longer periods of time.

That's about all I can offer....

For some reason that sounds backwards to me (probably cause I've done the same thing )
The most common plastic barrels and tanks are HDPE. Also Plastic fuel tanks are a type of HDPE.

From biodiesel.com;

Non Compatible Materials (B100)

Elastomers:
Nitrile Rubber
Polypropylene
Polyvinyl
Tygon
Behavior: Elastomers not compliant may degrade, soften, swell or seep from connections. Typically this only becomes an issue in vehicles built before 1993, which have older rubber hoses.

Compatible Materials (B100):

Elastomers:
Teflon
Viton
Fluorinated Plastic
Nylon
Polyethylene (HDPE)
Silicone

Behavior: These materials can be used to transmit and store Biodiesel, this includes “red plastic” gasoline cans, polyethylene barrels and large plastic totes.



Material tyrp should be molded in the container somewhere

 

[Tx_Atty]

HA! I can blame Rooster, I copied/pasted that from one of his old posts! Guess that is what I get for copying.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[powerboatr]

one other item Mr. Rooster found out about steel tanks is
if they are used and have any red oxide inside (rust), the b100 will clean it up real nice and clogg all of your filters.
you need to make sure the insides are clean before you put in the bio.
REAL clean,

 

[Big K]

Yea, I would imagine HDPE (high density polyethylene) would be safe for BIO.

But I don't know for sure JOAT looks like he knows

I do know that HDPE is used ALOT in the Telecom industry

 

[hheynow]

HDPE 275 gal totes for B100 storage.

 

[roosterdiesel]

That's what I get for listening to guys selling me B100 that was clogging my filters WAY too quickly with white gelatinous substance! Come to find out later that what they were buying, before producer permits were final, was only filtered to 15microns. My 2 micron filter didn't like that too much.


At least I know the polyethylene jugs I bought will hold up! Now if I could just find someone to sell me some B99.