Compressor air tanks...

unstable load

Well-Known Member
Can anyone tell me whether there is anything that is contraindicated with
having an air tank hot dip galvanised? Ob viously, the threads will need to be
protected, but is there anything that is heat/stress/pressure related that would
say not to do it?
I was given a 200 liter tank that has some scale and crud in the bottom of it and
I am going to have it acid dipped to clean it and just wondered if it was worth
dipping it while it was at the galvaniser's yard.
 
It has 2 inspection panels on the side that allow you a pretty good look inside.
There did not look to be too much corrosion when I had it open and I had a good
squirt around in it with a high pressure washer and loosened up a lot of it, and
now I want to have it hot acid dipped and galvanising or epoxy are the options
for internal protection.
 
Dave,
Nothing yet, I am still at work in Nigeria. Will drop them a line next week
when I am home and enquire. I would be naturally suspicious of a "no worries,
bring it in, it'll be fine" response, though. After all, they make money out of
galvanising and there is the usual, "Management accept no responsibility etc etc"
hanging on the wall.....
 
I'm wondering if the hot zinc will adhere to a tank that will be relatively cold as the thickness of the tank will take a lot of heat to warm up
 
I'm pretty sure it will stick. The whole tank is dunked in a huge vat filled with
zinc and it will rapidly reach ambient temperature, allowing good adhesion. :mrgreen:

My only concerns are for compromising the tank due to the heating/cooling and
whether it will in any way weaken the welds and material. I know there are issues
with electro-galvanising and hydrogen embrittlement, I am just not clued up
enough to know if it also applies to hot dipping.
 
It has been tested, to 1.5 times working pressure. I am happy
the tank is sound, just in two minds about the galvanising issue.
There is no rush on this, as I still need to finish the pump rebuild.... :roll:
 
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