When we want to contain something for disposal or use, we have plenty of options to choose from, steel being the most prominent. Able to be bonded with other materials, can be made into virtually any size, and with tensile strength to match its weight, steel has become the material of choice for most applications.
For steel drums or tanks, this is no different. Steel has plenty of qualities that make its use in industrial storage very viable (one quick look at the API 650 design can attest to that), but there’s a lot more things you can put inside these drums than simple chemicals.
From wastewater in sewage treatment plants to our favorite snacks to satisfy our sweet tooth, here’s how the steel drum became the mother of all metal containers today:
Wastewater treatment plants
Steel drums have a very important role in wastewater treatment plants due to the constant flow of water from within the area. A facility is often dominated by these large, imposing structures: either storing the dirty water within, funneling them through for extra cleaning measures or just storing them for other uses.
A majority of production facilities produces plenty of wastewater and often need places to store them in, and that’s where metal drums come in. And with more facilities experimenting and implementing with their own waste recycling measures, steel drums are often the container of choice for treating their runoffs or collecting them to send to a treatment plant.
Manufacturing and food
With the demand for more food on the rise, it became necessary to produce the amounts consumers need. That is why steel drums and tanks can be extremely critical to any manufacturing plant: they can contain the raw materials or ingredients needed to kickstart production of the final output.
More than that, the drums need to pass a specific and stringent set of standards before they can be used. Substandard construction or poor maintenance can cause a decline in quality when it comes to the final output or be the cause of workplace accidents.
Engineering, development, and research facilities
Finally, the steel tank also plays a critical role in research and development facilities. With their ability to hold large amounts of materials while being easily transported within and out of the facility, their versatility in the type of materials they can hold, and even the design and structure of each individual tank adjustable to the needs of the facility, these containers can be considered among the most important components of any facility.
Versatile, easy to manufacture, and even easier to handle, these hallmarks of today’s steel tanks have made them the containers of choice when it comes to the most important materials that make up much of our modern world possible. It’s not an exaggeration to say that finding those that can provide and maintain these containers is a must for any business operating on a large scale.
So, if you need to store any type of material, especially liquid chemicals, make sure you use high-quality steel tanks or drums.