How To Choose the Best Glass Fused to Steel Bolted Storage Tank for Your Industrial Projects

---

Glass Fused to Steel Bolted tanks are a very popular choice for storage tanks but how do you make sure you are choosing the right type of Glass Lined Bolted Storage Tank for your project?

First of all vitreous enameled steel tanks, also called glass fused to steel tanks or glass lined steel tanks are primarily chosen from an engineering standpoint for a combination of excellent technical properties:

*Inorganic Chemical Resistance over a wide pH-range *Extremely smooth and inert surface *Does not harbor or promote any bacteria *Very low and high temperature resistance *Abrasion and Scratch resistant *Excellent organic chemical resistance *Strength and flexibility *Physiologically safe *Highest level of Corrosion resistance

When choosing your tank you want to make sure that the tank conforms to awwa d103 standard or higher. Don't be fooled into think thinking that a set of specifications written by a particular manufacturer is awwa d103. Many, many times the writer of those specifications put in extraneous requirements to weed out their competition and give the buyer fewer (if any) other choices. This tactic is usually not to the benefit of the glass lined storage tank buyer.

Enamel:

Three major factors that affect enameling:

*The quality of steel *Type of enamel used *Method of applying enamel to steel

The development of thinner coatings has increased the role of the base metal's mechanical properties, providing more flexibility, less brittleness and greater chip resistance. Proper coating thickness is the key to elasticity and longevity. In general thinner porcelain enamel coatings are more flexible and have greater resistance to fracture. Thicker coatings have better electrical properties and used on sinks, lavatories and bathtubs and the heaviest coatings are used on cast iron or heavy steel where rigidity of the substrate resists deformation and reduces the danger of fracture.

Thickness over 15-mils is not generally recommended for sheet/plate metal parts because of warping and/or chipping problems.

During the bonding process many glass (porcelain enamel) fused to steel plates / sheets encounter various defects and among them are:

*Fish scale *Low adherence *Boiling *Blisters *Pinhole *Sagging

The 'Fish Scale' is a major defect and you should make sure that your manufacturer has the ability to manufacture in such a way as to eliminate the possibility of it occurring.

Reasons for fish scaling include:

1.Water in the firing atmosphere. Make sure manufacturers ovens are void of any humidity. 2.Water present in the raw material of (glass) enamel. Make sure manufacturer applies only Electrostatic Powder Glass (porcelain enamel) and for uniformity of coating vs. liquid used by many. 3.Adhesive strength of the glass (porcelain enamel) to the base steel plate. Your manufacturer should use a high grade steel specially made for maximum adhesion. Many manufacturers buy their steel from the least expensive source which contains high amounts of carbon that will make it difficult for the glass to adhere to. High carbon content will also cause formation of boiling, blisters, pinholes and sagging.

Many manufacturers must apply a toxic nickel deposit on the steel to cover up the carbon defect in the cheap steel they are using in order to be able to apply a two coat/two fire enameling process. As a result they end up with a thicker coating that has a tendency to fish scale, sag and has low adherence which cracks easily.

Our competitors apply Nickel deposition to cover up the carbon defect in their cheap (inferior) steel in order to be able to apply their two-coat/two-fire enameling process. As a result they end up with thicker coating that has the tendency to fish scale, sag, has low adherence and cracks easily.

Edges:

Plate/Sheet edges have to be properly coated with the same material in order to avoid electrolysis of dissimilar metals, rust and weakening of the enamel bonding. The edges of your Glass Fused to Steel Bolted Tank plates should be rounded and coated completely on all edges. Many manufacturers have a sharp edge and coat them cosmetically with a stainless steel strip to hide the raw edges. This makes three dissimilar metals in the manufacturing process.

Bolts: Many manufacturers use the same fin-necked bolts to assemble their tanks as they use for their epoxy coated bolted steel tanks. These fins bite into the enameling and cause cracking and scratches which can the lead to rusting inside the tank. On an epoxy coated bolted tank this is not an issue as any defects can be touched up in the field. This is not the case with glass fused to steel bolted tanks. You should verify with your manufacturer that they are installing the tank with bolts that are safe to use with glass fused to steel bolted tanks.

Warranty: Many glass lined bolted storage tank manufacturers offer short warranty periods on their project due to issues such as dissimilar metals. Make sure your manufacturer stands behind their product with a substantial warranty period.

By finding the highest quality manufacturer of glass fused to steel bolted storage tanks you will be able to keep your product safe and worry free for years to come.

---

---

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com