120 ton GRP tanks were finished

120 ton GRP tanks were finished. Those were very huge tanks made by GRP and can be used for many different liquid. Plasticos Industriales de Tampico (PITSA), of Tampico, Mexico, was awarded an exceptionally challenging project in late 2007. PITSA accepted orders requiring the company to fabricate, within a few months time, four large diameter glass reinforced plastic (GRP) tanks at its factory and deliver them to the port to be transported by heavy lift vessel to a nickel extraction plant in the Pacific Rim. The tanks were 10 m inside diameter (ID) x 15 m, 14 m ID x 8 m and two of 14 m ID x 18 m.

All four tanks were domed top, flat bottom and designed for liquid fill, internal pressure of 5 kPa, vacuum of 3 kPa, wind and seismic. Vacuum of 3 kPa required that the flat bottoms be cored and the shells be stiffened. Vacuum also required the large domed tops to be significantly thicker than normal.

The 14 m x 18 m tanks were fabricated from Ashland’s Derakane 470 resin and Owens Corning’s Advantex E-CR glass reinforcement. The tanks were weighed by the cranes and were surprisingly close in weight due to the careful control of thicknesses. Each tank weighed about 120 tonnes.

GRP – the most practical material

The two big tanks will be used for both hydrochloric acid (HCl) and nickel chloride (NiCl2) service. GRP was the most cost effective material for these service conditions. While some of the high-end alloys can handle this combined service, the cost would have been significantly higher than GRP. In addition, GRP is relatively friendly for repairs and modifications, given the remote location of the jobsite. Welding exotic alloys has proven to be problematic in remote field locations due to site conditions and the lack of highly qualified welders. GRP laminations can be done using small hand tools and simple enclosures.

GRP is also versatile. GRP can be moulded into complex shapes, which is very helpful when the field operator encounters the need for a special fitting or pipe clip. Clips and brackets can be bonded to a tank without the localised heating created by welding. Metal tanks with coatings and linings typically cannot be welded without damaging the interior. In the case of GRP, clips and brackets can be laminated on, even with the tank filled.

About Sichuan Sincere & Long-term Complex Material Co., Ltd.

Sichuan Sincere & Long-term Complex Material Co., Ltd. is the only one factory and subsidiary specialized in E-glass chopped strand mat and E-glass Woven Roving manufacturing in Sichuan Weibo New Material Group Co., Ltd. The fiberglass products are more price competitive and quality assured compared with many supplier in China. The website: www.zccyfiberglass.com. Inquiry please contact: fred@chinaweibo.com.cn.