Considerations for Tank Lining Projects

Q: I have a problem with my city water rinse tank leaking and am considering having a spray-on lining applied.

Are there any problems I may run into with chemicals leaching out of the liner material that might cause problems with my paint tank? R.A.

 

A. To obtain an expert opinion on this subject, I have consulted with my friend Barnie Haen of Therma-Tron-X, Inc. They make and maintain E-coat systems. Barnie and I worked together for many years on the Founding Board of Directors of The Electrocoat Association. I have a lot of respect for his opinion. Here is what Barnie had to say in response to your question.

“A good lining material should work, as long as the condition of the tank is not too far gone. I think that anything bigger than a drip will probably mean structural repair or even total replacement of the tank if the problem is widespread. Make sure you don’t ask the spray-on material to do too much by itself.

“I would hazard a guess that good liner materials are inert, so there shouldn’t be any chemical problems,” he continues. “And the liner would be tough enough to last a long time, so I can’t imagine that much would get into the tank in the first place (as long as it’s properly applied).

“If it’s a city water rinse, it’s probably not (or shouldn’t be) the final rinse before the electrocoating tank. Some consideration should be made to finding a liner material compatible with whatever the active ingredients may be in the dragout from the previous stage.

“As long as this isn’t the final rinse, anything that might come off the liner material will be rinsed off prior to entering the e-coat tank, so paint contamination should not be a problem.

“Oh yes, here is one last but very important thing. Be sure there is no silicone in the lining material.”
Thanks, Barnie!