Pressure Vessel Rubber Lining Repair
CommTank provided a pressure vessel repair service for a company that manufactures products used in food and confection, pharmaceutical, and imaging applications.
The leaking pressure vessel prior to repairs being done.
The work was performed on the weekend to minimize impact to the production lines. The vertical process tanks are rubber lined to provide corrosion protection for hydrochloric acid storage and resin beads. This manufacturer asked us to spark test and perform the repair on premises.
Technician is welding the new hatch in place.
During testing CommTank crews found that the rubber around the access hatches was pulling away from the tank wall. To perform the repair the crew removed the existing rubber around the top manway and sanded the steel down to white metal. The side hatches were corroded due to the exposure to hydrochloric acid so they had to be replaced.
A closeup of the transition from original rubber line to the replaced section.
Strips of rubber were cut to match the area around the hatch and overlap the existing rubber on the sides of the tank. The rubber was glued in place and cured using infrared lamps connected to the interior and exterior of the tanks. At the end of the curing period, we spark tested the repaired surfaces and verified the tanks could be returned to service.
Heat lamps placed in the top manway provide the proper curing temperature.
Dan Hoag has worked in the environmental and tank storage industry for 16 years. Dan’s range of expertise includes designing systems for oil spill clean-ups, treating soil contamination through "in situ" oxidation and testing, and inspecting underground storage tank systems. As head of Marketing and Information Technologies at CommTank, Dan draws from field experience to write about fuel, water and chemical storage technologies, and the regulations that affect them. He has developed training courses in home inspection, underground storage tank operator, ultrasonic thickness and tank tightness testing. Over the past decade, Dan has published over 60 articles about industry trends and has documented commercial, residential, and environmental projects through illustration, videos, and photography. When Dan unplugs from technology, he spends his time backyard farming, hiking, and kayaking, while masquerading as a hockey player during the wee hours of the morning.