Do you have a leaking tank or do you want to safely contain chemicals? Is your tank rusty and in need of patching? You can patch your tank, but that may not offer you a permanent solution. Tank liners for water systems, however, may be the answer to your problem

What are water tank liners?

A tank liner is a material used to create a strong and thick film and subsequently prevent chemical contamination, corrosion, and leakage. These liners come as specialized fabrics made from different heavy-duty materials.

According to EPA stipulations, tanks with capacities of under 110 gallons are subject to federal regulations. Part of these federal regulations call for the proper lining of water-holding tanks to prevent leakages and safely contain chemicals.

While their purpose is simple enough, the sheer variety of available water tank liners may be overwhelming at first. Here’s a breakdown of the common types of tank liners for water systems present in the market and a few of their merits as tank liners.

Epoxy Linings

Epoxy tank coatings are made from epoxy material, which can be developed to be chemical-resistant. They are strong linings that are aggressive and capable of working under high-temperature environments. Epoxy is moisture tolerant and solvent-free, making it an obvious choice for water tanks.

Polyurethane Linings

Polyurethane tank linings fall somewhere in the middle in terms of flexibility, though they’re certainly more flexible than other options. That said, they’re ideal for concrete-made structures.

Vinyl Ester Tank Liners

Vinyl ester liners are made from vinyl material and provides some of the highest resistance to chemical infiltration and contamination. This material has found extensive use in most chemical industries because of its high resistance to temperature and chemical damage.

Polyurea Tank Liners

Polyurea material is rare in the tank lining industry. This newer commercialized lining material is applied in a gel-like form using specialized spraying equipment. Polyurea provides perfect flexibility and strength as a tank liner. It also has elongation properties of up to 900%. There are many variations of polyurethane and they’re designed for varying applications. Polyurea tank linings are also abrasion resistant and solvent-free.

Cementitious Liners

There are two common types of cementitious linings, which include epoxy and polymer modified cementitious linings. These materials find common use in the lining of concrete tanks used in water treatment and to safely contain chemicals. These linings are ideal for waterproofing underwater retaining or collection structures.

Zinc Tank Liners

A zinc-made tank liner has zinc silicate material and is anti-corrosive. Its additives and binders can act as effective waterproofing material. This material has zinc dust levels of a high percentage. These liners give a zinc-to-zinc contact with cathode-like protective layers like some that occur in a galvanizing process. These linings are non-porous, which makes their cleaning a little challenging. However. they can still safely contain chemicals. The zinc coating is effective because it fills up the capillaries and pores. These coatings also resist the power of solvents and they can get used to line solvent tanks. But they’re not resistant to bases and strong acids.

Stainless Steel Liners

Stainless steel linings are made from polished or rough stainless steel. Rough-surfaced steel linings are most commonly used. Tanks with stainless steel linings should get cleaned to an ideal Water White Standard on a regular basis.

You can safely contain chemicals and avert tank leakages from all kinds of tanks by ensuring that you buy the right kind of tank lining material. There are numerous tank lining materials and they have varying effectiveness in serving as tank liners, which can prevent leakages and chemical contaminations. Your choice of a liner should be based on various factors, which include its ability to serve as a perfect water-tight sealant.