When considering the relining of a storage tank, you have to consider the total cost of the project. Preparation, materials cost, and labor costs are the most obvious; but you also have to consider the cost of downtime with respect to the tank itself. Every day the tank is out of service increases the cost of the rehabilitation project.
Sherwin-Williams has developed a new epoxy coating that offers a significantly reduced cure time over other standard epoxies. The product, called Fast Clad 105ER, is primarily targeted for the oil and marine industries. It is suitable for use in storage tanks of crude oil and/or ethanol, both onshore and offshore. However is not solely applicable for the oil and gas industry; it is also suitable for universal storage service.
The turn around time on this application is only eight hours. The rapid cure epoxy can be holiday tested in as little as four hours, and is immersion ready in only eight. That means that a relined tank can be returned to service in the space of one day, or easily overnight. This can represent significant savings in down time.
In addition, the epoxy is 100 percent solids. It can be applied in only one pass, while still achieving the necessary dry film thickness (as much as 50 mils in rehabilitation applications). It also helps to prevent premature coating failures caused by vulnerable weld seams, edges and angles. This means longer service times between relining. It may be applied in temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit. That means that your storage tank lining project can be carried out almost any time of year.
If you need to renew your storage tank lining, it might be well to consider a rapid cure epoxy coating for your project.
