Opportunities and New Markets for Tank Manufacturers

Opportunities and New Markets for Tank Manufacturers

Presented by Ian Chisnall - VP Business Development

Matrix Polymers Dubai – March 2014

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Overview of Tank Applications • Tanks in various shapes and forms are the biggest market sector in

Rotomoulding

– Automotive (Fuel, Water, Hydraulics)

– Domestic Heating Oil

– Water Storage

• Some sectors have seen the market requirements fall

• Successful moulders in Europe are the ones that have innovated and moved into new sectors

– Underground Tanks

– Chemical Tanks


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Rainwater Harvesting Septic Tanks Inspection Chamber

Underground Tanks

Applications are slightly different but the fundamentals of the tank design are the same

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Underground Tanks • Historically concrete and GRP, typically

spherical in design (not space efficient)

• Rotomoulded products increasingly accepted.

• But strength must be incorporated into design


Design of Underground Tanks

• Typically cylindrical with rounded ends

• Circular “Doughnut” Tanks increasingly popular for larger capacity (10,000 litres)

• Always with strengthening ribs


Design of Underground Tanks • Modular Design allows for a range of sizes from minimal tooling

costs


Design considerations • Use of FEA recommended to ensure tank design is suitable – Matrix can

provide material data to assist.

• Underground tanks are subject to much greater forces than above ground

– Soil pressure

– Changing water table

– Backfilling

– Hydrostatic uplift

• Use of Hexene co-monomer LLDPE highly recommended to meet requirements for

– Creep

– Tensile Strength

– Fatigue Resistance


Design considerations – Ribs

• Recommended ratio to give balance between strength and mouldability. Good quality powder needed to ensure good dry flow.

• Even wall thickness needed to reduce moulded in stress

• Be careful with radii on corners, sharp corners can lead to thick and thin spots


Design considerations • Further information and advice is available through Matrix

• ARMA (Association of Rotational Moulders Australia) produced an excellent Code of Practice for Underground Tanks in 2012

• Copies are available through Matrix


Chemical Tanks

• LLDPE is an excellent choice for Chemical Storage Tanks

• Tough and Durable

• Resistant to Acids and Alkalis

• Unaffected by virtually all Metallic Salt Solutions

• Suitable for storing many agricultural chemicals (insecticides etc.)


Chemical Tanks - Considerations

• ESCR & Surfactants

• Size

• Compatibility & Permeability

• Indoor or Outdoor?

• Bunds


What is the ESCR?

• ESCR - Environmental Stress Crack Resistance

• A measure of long-term properties

• Standard tests accelerate effects using a stress crack promoter

– Surfactant (Igepal, Akropal)


ESCR • All things being equal…

• C6 will outperform C4

• As MFI decreases, ESCR performance improves

• As Density decreases, ESCR performance improves

• ESCR is a guide to how something will perform but it is only a guide…


Size

• Rotomoulded chemical containers can start from 10 litres

• ESCR improves as the density decreases so for smaller tanks, consider using a medium density grade such as Revolve 6402

• This is common practice for production of IBCs (intermediate Bulk Containers) with capacity up to around 1,000 litres


Compatibility, Suitability, Permeability

• Many LLDPE manufacturers can provide information on chemical compatibility http://plastics.sabic.eu/services/_scripts/chemical_resistance_guide_pe.pl

• Be careful, this just means that the chemical will not interact with LLDPE.

• It could be permeable (Hydrocarbon solvents)

• It could be a stress crack agent


Some suggestions

• Ask for the MSDS for the chemical in question, check with your supplier and use freely available sources of information.

• Always check the concentration, 50% sulphuric acid is OK, 90-100% is not

• Be careful with surfactants (detergents, flocking agents) these can be particularly aggressive on LLDPE

• Petrol & Hydrocarbon solvents such as Acetone, Toluene, White Spirit etc. are typically not suitable for storage in LLDPE

• Please ask us about XLPE in more demanding applications


Indoor or Outdoor? • Many Chemical Tanks are intended for

use indoor and are made in natural LLDPE

• This has many benefits • Cost

• Translucency (level of liquid can be seen easily)

• No possible pigment interaction with Chemical

• But if the use is outside, consider the effects of UV on the contents of the tank and the tank itself


Bunds • Because of the risk of spillage of hazardous chemicals, many chemical

tanks are bunded

• This can take the form of a tank within a tank

• But more commonly, the tank is rested on a bunded pallet. These pallets are typically also Rotomoulded

• The bund must be able to contain more volume than the tank



Both these markets should bring greater rewards but come with more risk… • Imagine an underground tank that has failed…

• Imagine the costs of digging it up, disconnecting the pipes and then re-installing a new one

• Think about a 3,000 litre tank of Sodium Hydroxide

• Think about that cracking

• And the spillage into a nearby river…


How can Matrix help you in new markets?

• Founded over 20 years ago

• Still 100% focussed on Rotomoulding

• 140 employees around the world

• Local representation for your region

• Offering technical materials and technical service

• Revolve 6329U

• Improved performance, reducing the risk of failure

6329U

• Designed for Rotomoulding in combination with our strategic partner

• Hexene Co-monomer

• Excellent ESCR performance

• Outstanding mechanical and physical performance

• Wide operating window

• AS4766 approved

• Widely sold in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and EU

• Outstanding thermal and light stability

• UV 15


• Environmental Stress Crack Resistance (ESCR) is enhanced for hexene PE grades in comparison to Butene PE grades.

• Resistance to CREEP and FATIGUE are improved for Hexene PE grades

• Hexene PE grades offer better chemical resistance than Butene PE grades

– This is due to the high number of tie molecules and entanglement

Long term properties – C4 vs. C6


Effect of ESC Agent Large, mobile stress- cracking molecule

Effect of ESC agent

Effect of ESC agent

Effect of ESC agent

Failure

Tie molecules

Tie molecules

"tie" molecules prevent / slow down inter-lamellar failure

• The tank industry in US, Europe and Australasia is dominated by hexene grades

• Why?

• Superior performance

– Better products

– Thinner walls with lower shot weights

– Peace of mind

Final Remarks


• Our belief is to help moulders around world enhance the quality of their products by offering a hexene tank grade.

• Moulders who chose hexene PE materials will benefit from exploring new opportunities by pushing their boundaries

– Underground water tanks

– Chemical containers

– More demanding and technically challenging applications

Final Remarks



Revolve 6329U A new grade designed to meet

the most challenging applications


Many thanks for your attention

Any questions?


Documents

Opportunities and New Markets for Tank Manufacturers