Why Does Stainless Steel Rust? We understand its Causes and Solutions
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November 23, 2023
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Why does Stainless Steel rust?
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If you are close to making the decision to start storing fuel inside your work area, you may ask yourself the following questions.
What is the best material for a storage tank?
Plastic or steel fuel tank?
Does it really affect the material the tank is made of?
Which should I choose?
Throughout this writing we will dedicate ourselves to answering these and many other questions that may arise regarding the ideal choice of a fuel storage tank.
At PPW we have a great team of advisors specialized in the area of fuel storage tanks. If you want to contact any of them and clear up any doubts you may have, don't wait any longer and access from the following button.
To begin with, it is important to bear in mind that when choosing a storage tank, you will only have two options in terms of its manufacturing material, steel or plastic.
Each of these two materials offers the user a series of advantages and disadvantages depending on the needs that need to be met.
Let's see in a little more detail the characteristics offered by each type of tank, in order to be able to have greater clarity about which one is ideal for you.
It is important to keep in mind that a plastic fuel tank is usually made of a high-strength polyethylene material that allows it to meet the needs of the user at a low cost.
Weight: This type of fuel tanks are usually extremely light, flexible and easy to transport compared to tanks made of steel, this is due to the material from which they are made.
Endurance: A plastic fuel tank has outstanding resistance mainly to shock, high temperatures and materials or chemical substances. To which we could add its insulating ability, which slows down the transfer of heat from the environment to the content found inside the tank.
Costs: Being composed of a much lighter material than steel, makes transportation and installation processes much faster and cheaper. To this we could add the low maintenance costs, since being such a conventional material, specific components are not required for cleaning.
Design: One of the main faculties of this type of material is its flexibility, because thanks to this it is possible to carry out practically any type of design imaginable, as long as you are willing to pay more for a particular design.
Ability: In these types of tools there is an upper limit to how big a plastic fuel tank can get before it ends up affecting the design and integrity of the tank itself. The maximum capacity of a tank made of this material is usually around 1,700 gallons (6,500 liters).
Around: If a plastic fuel tank is exposed to a prolonged amount of sunlight, it can quickly weaken and wear down the quality of the material, which is why it is recommended not to have these types of tanks outdoors.
Handling: Based on the fact that plastic is a much softer material than steel, this type of tank can be handled more easily by external agents. Well, in case of suffering some type of assault, the material will not give much resistance when preventing the perpetrators from drilling the tank to extract the fuel that it has stored.
Absorption: A plastic fuel tank will inevitably end up absorbing some of the fuel it is storing. Meaning in this way possible negative consequences, such as the complete debilitation of the tank.
In the case of fuel tanks made of steel, these are usually specially designed for single wall or double wall.
Endurance: Thanks to the fact that steel is a much more resistant material than plastic, it can withstand much more extreme environments and damage, without receiving any type of significant affectation. To this we could add greater security when a third party tries to perforate or cause a crack in the tank.
Null Absorption: Unlike its previously described counterpart, steel is not a porous material, which would imply that it does not have the possibility of absorbing fuel or some other type of substance that is being stored inside the tank.
Environment tolerance: This type of material guarantees greater resistance to high temperatures and works at atmospheric pressure, without presenting any symptoms of corrosion or oxidation.
Ability: Tanks that are made of steel can hold significantly higher capacities than plastic tanks, with these hovering around a maximum capacity of around 30,000 gallons (115,000 liters).
Outdoor installation: These types of storage tanks are not affected by the presence of sunlight, which makes them ideal for installation and handling in open spaces.
Cost: Being a much heavier material than plastic, it presents greater difficulties at the time of its transportation and installation, a detail that is reflected in the respective costs to carry out these procedures.
To this we could add that its maintenance requires specific materials to be carried out properly, so its costs are also increased compared to the maintenance that a plastic tank requires.
Manufacturing time: Steel is a more difficult material to handle than polyethylene, so its manufacture seems extremely late compared to plastic tanks.
It is necessary to clarify that the choice of a fuel storage tank depends entirely on the needs that its user needs to satisfy. However, it is important to note that steel tanks provide a host of benefits, especially when it comes to operations that require large amounts of storage.
To this we could add its notable resistance to sunlight and high temperatures, which greatly facilitates its installation in any type of environment. For this and many of its other advantages, the steel tank is usually the choice over the plastic fuel tank.
Here at PPW we have over 20 years of experience manufacturing and distributing stainless steel tanks. If you are interested in acquiring this type of tools, I invite you to take a look at our new range of storage tanks by accessing from the following link.
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