GRP tanks and vessels are manufactured from premium grade polyester and vinyl ester resins that provide an inert, non-toxic and extremely cost-effective solution to corrosion problems.
RPC manufactures a wide range of sizes and types of cylindrical and rectangular tanks and vessels, each designed and built to the specification required.
TYPES OF TANKS AND VESSELS
Vertical Cylindrical Tanks
Vertical tanks are ideally suited for storage, mixing and general processing applications involving a wide variety of corrosive reagents. These tanks generally require continuous bottom support, are suitable for free-standing applications and have exceptionally high wall strength and stability.
Horizontal Tanks
Horizontal tanks are commonly used for above and below ground storage applications, where access is limited or where tanks are required to be transportable.
Rectangular Tanks
Rectangular tanks are commonly used where space requirements are at a premium or where specific processes are involved.
The rectangular tank dimensions are determined by the capacity required. Wherever possible, they are fabricated in one piece or can be produced in modular sections for field assembly.
Continuous bottom support must be provided. Girth flanges and vertical ribs are designed and located to ensure minimum practical deflection on the side wall.
Note: Where the economical limit of GRP is reached, GRP linings may be applied to both steel and concrete to provide an effective and viable solution to future corrosion problems.
Agitated Tanks
In medium and heavy duty applications, agitated GRP tanks are commonly used to prevent settling of solids in solution or to aid in various aeration processes.
Agitators can be either top or side wall mounted with structural GRP baffles (if required) and suitably abrasion resistant to meet the design criteria.
Vacuum Service
GRP tanks can be designed for vacuum service by adjusting the wall thickness and adding vacuum rings at the proper locations. Dished or conical heads are commonly used.
Underground Storage Tanks
The major benefit directly attributable to the non corrosive characteristics of GRP is the ability to eliminate one of the most significant factors that causes tank failure - corrosion.
Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) tanks are not affected by soil conditions or bacteria, so do not require any corrosion resistance treatment. They resist both internal and external corrosion and do not require special coating or cathodic protection, both additional costs when considering steel tanks.
Used as specified GRP tanks result in substantial savings over the life of the installation.
APPLICATION EXAMPLES
Oil and Gas Industry
GRP tanks are currently used to store petroleum products with specific gravities up to 1.1 and temperatures up to 65°C at atmosphere pressure.
These include fuel, oil, gasoline, de-icing fluid, jet fuel, auxiliary fuel supplies for power plants and many other liquids.
Although the initial cost of a GRP tank is higher than an unlined steel tank, the ongoing maintenance costs will be less. Non-corroding GRP tanks will last the economic design life of most facilities.
Sewage and Water Treatment
Fibreglass tanks are virtually unaffected by the bacterial action caused by raw sewage. They are non-porous hence eliminating the possibility of contaminating nearby water supplies and they are also resistant to sulphur compounds inside the tank or soil conditions outside.
GRP tanks are light weight, easy to handle and install, highly corrosion resistant and can be fabricated to suit the particular design requirements.
Chemical Storage
GRP tanks can be designed to store such corrosive materials as Hydrochloric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sulphuric Acid and other chemicals without running the risk of internal corrosion and failure.
GRP tanks are made of polyester and vinyl ester resins reinforced with continuous glass rovings and range in size from 1,000L to 500,000L.
