The filament wound tanks were manufactured using Advantex glass fibre reinforcements and epoxy vinyl ester resin. The buy was a big one – 85 tanks ranging in size from 350 to 40 000 gallons. The estimated saving was also substantial at about US$2 million.
New storage tanks
The experience was prompted by a fundamental change in the binder used to make the company’s fibreglass insulation. The new binder is made of all-natural ingredients in a formaldehyde-free formulation.
It required having new storage tanks installed at eight facilities throughout North America in an eight-month period between July 2010 and February 2011.
To meet delivery deadlines and service all the locations efficiently, Owens Corning purchased the FRP tanks from several fabricators.
Advantex glass
All of the corrosion-resistant tanks were made with Owens Corning boron-free Advantex® E-CR glass fibre reinforcements throughout the laminate, from the resin-rich inner corrosion barrier to the structural portions of the tanks.
The tanks were made using filament winding. The resin used was epoxy vinyl ester.
Webinar: How to Specify Fiberglass (FRP) to Lower Costs
|
Owens Corning is holding a webinaron 19 April 2012 to demonstrate why engineers and end-users are replacing traditional materials with FRP in corrosive environments in the power & energy, chemical processing, mining, water and sewage treatment, food processing and other industries. In many cases, the FRP equipment is lower in cost, has outstanding performance, and provides equal (if not superior) quality over high cost alloys.
The webinar will discuss the various types of glass fibre and resin available and demonstrate how to specify the correct materials for different chemical environments.
Registration for the webinaris free of charge.
|
“It was nice to be able to leverage our own knowledge in a big way,” said Dave Gordon, director of global sourcing, Owens Corning. “The project also demonstrated that we believe in our products and we are committed to growing with our customers.”
Owens Corning is now sharing its success story with the company's engineering and chemical vendors so they understand the potential for savings with composite storage tanks.
“Our experience will help educate the market and potentially open doors for new clients and applications for our customers,” added Gordon.