Plastic Oil Tanks
Plastic oil tanks are used in the transportation and storage of oil. They are generally fabricated from industrial grade plastics such as FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) and molded polyethylene. Plastic oil tanks are often used in applications such as domestic central heating systems, on trucks and trains for oil transportation, in gas stations, and in any building that uses oil to fuel its heating systems.
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Plastic Oil Tank Applications
Plastic oil tanks can be used in underground or underground oil storage applications but are most commonly used underground. One example of an above ground storage application for plastic oil tanks is heating oil storage for residential purposes. An example of an underground storage tank for plastic oil tanks is for the storage of heating oil for industrial or commercial purposes, as well as the storage of various fuel types such as motor oils, diesel fuel, and fuel oil for automotive applications. Plastic materials are a popular alternative to metals like stainless steel for manufacturing oil tanks; however, plastic oil tanks are not recommended to store certain aggressive chemicals such as strong oxidizers, aromatics, gasoline, or jet fuel.
Plastic oil tanks are made in a couple of different ways, but their most common processes are injection molding and contact molding. Injection molding is utilized for plastic oil tanks fabricated from polyethylene, while contact molding is for plastic oil tanks formed from FRP. Injection molding functions by first heating plastic pellets and then injecting the molten plastic material into the cavity of a split die chamber/mold, which is then clamped shut. The plastic resin cools as water or other fluids circulate through the mold's cooling system, extracting the heat and solidifying the tank. On the other hand, contact molding applies many different layers to a large round mold. They are all measured in gallons and can hold anywhere from 5 to 13,000 gallons. Depending on their size and the desired wall strength, oil tanks are composed of either one or two layers. They can stand alone or be integrally bundled, which means multiple tanks are attached to one another by a system of plastic internally-coated copper piping. Whether above ground, underground, horizontal or vertical, every plastic oil tank has vents, a content gauge, an isolation valve, and an overfill alarm for safety reasons.