Why should I replace my stainless steel or steel tank/silo with a composite one?

Steel or stainless steel tanks are the standard in many companies for the storage of liquids and/or solid raw materials. This makes sense, as (stainless) steel is a very durable material and, in various designs, is suitable for almost any industry. Stainless steel/steel tanks are also very robust.

Nevertheless, they do have some disadvantages. For instance, (stainless) steel systems are relatively expensive. As the material is strong and tough, high machining costs are often incurred. With stainless steel, corrosion is halted as it cannot penetrate deeper into the material; with steel, on the other hand, the corrosion layer is not oxygen-tight and does not prevent further corrosion. Furthermore, steel structures require regular maintenance, have low fire safety ratings and offer poorer sound and thermal insulation.

Do you have a system made of stainless steel or steel? And does it need replacing? We would be happy to composite material: the material of the future. We therefore hope that, after reading this article, you will consider composite material as the material for your new system.

Composite materials are currently experiencing a rapid boom across a wide variety of sectors and industries. Take, for example, the aerospace, construction, energy and automotive industries. The possibilities are endless.

But what exactly is a composite material? A composite material is essentially a plastic made up of various components, such as resin and glass fibres. As it takes on the properties of its individual components, composite materials acquire entirely new properties of their own. The resin coats and binds the other material, which is usually a reinforcing fibre.

Composite materials possess numerous properties that offer significant advantages over conventional materials such as concrete, aluminium, steel and stainless steel. We would be happy to explain the key benefits to you:

• 60–75 per cent lighter than steel: The glass-to-resin ratio ensures an extremely low weight without compromising strength. Composite materials, in fact, have extremely high stiffness and tensile strength and can withstand high bulk densities. This property automatically ensures that no high installation costs are incurred. In most cases, a simple lorry-mounted crane is sufficient for unloading and erecting tanks and silos
• Virtually maintenance-free: Apart from routine cleaning, composite systems require almost no maintenance due to their resistance to all weather conditions.
• Corrosion-resistant: Composite material is impermeable to water, vapours and gases, and resistant to most aggressive chemicals.
• High insulating properties: Silos and tanks made from composite material are unaffected by condensation, which prevents the contents from rotting, hardening or clumping.
• Resistant to temperatures of 60–100 °C: Composite material offers excellent temperature resistance.
• 35% better insulation value: for the same insulation thickness. This results in an average annual saving of €50,000.
• 41 per cent lower CO_₂footprint: 4 compared with 6.8 kg CO_₂/kg of material, 1,200 tonnes of CO_₂  equivalent to the carbon sequestration capacity of 80,000 m² of forest over 25 years.
• 100% recyclable: 30 per cent of all recycled composites consist of this material. When this material is depolymerised at a very low temperature, naphtha (a type of oil) is produced, from which various types of plastics can ultimately be manufactured. Read our full article on this topic.

So it’s definitely worth choosing composite materials for your sustainable storage systems, isn’t it?

There are numerous excellent applications for composite tanks and/or silos. Here are a few examples:

Is the coating on your steel tank due for replacement? If so, why not consider a composite system? The team at M.I.P. will be happy to advise you on making the right choice for your storage needs. Please feel free to contact us or request a no-obligation quote for your installation(s) via our website.