Understanding the Risk of IBC Totes Freezing in Winter and How to Prevent It
Intermediate bulk containers are frequently used to store a wide variety of liquid materials across a range of industries and applications. Common liquid types include water, chemicals, and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). A concern that arises with IBC totes and liquid cargo, particularly in colder climates, is the potential for the contents to freeze during winter. This short post will explore whether an IBC tote can freeze in winter and provides several frequently used methods to mitigate the risk.
Freezing in an IBC tote largely depends on what liquid the IBC is holding, the weather in your location, and how long the freezing temperatures last. In regions where it gets cold enough for long enough, there is a risk of the contents freezing, which could potentially cause damage to the IBC plastic or cause the tote to split open. For water IBC totes, freezing becomes a concern when outside temperatures reach 32°F (0°C) and lower.
How to Prevent Freezing in An IBC Tote
There are several ways to prevent liquids from freezing in an IBC container:
Electric Heating Jackets: The most effective way to keep the contents of your IBC totes from freezing is by using an electric heating jacket. IBC heat blankets provide consistent heat distribution and maintain the temperature of the contents within the desired range.
Close Stacking: Close stacking won’t by itself prevent a tote’s contents from freezing, but it can help keep totes warmer for longer. This method works on the principle of shared heat, where the warmth from one container helps maintain the temperature of another.
Indoor Storage: If possible, storing IBC totes indoors during winter can be an effective strategy to prevent freezing. An indoor environment typically offers temperature control and thereby keeps IBC totes from freezing temperatures.
Insulation: Using straw bales, tarps, blankets, water heater insulation, or home insulating materials can help protect and maintain the temperature of the tote’s contents and prevent freezing.
Circulation: When liquids, such as water, are moving, they take more time or colder temperatures to freeze over. Using an air pump or water pump and plumbing to circulate and keep the IBC contents moving can be effective to prevent freezing.
For any IBC tote holding a liquid with a freezing point common to winter temperatures, there is a potential risk for the IBC tote to freeze. However, the above strategies can be used to prevent freezing, protecting your IBC tote and maintaining the quality or usability of its contents throughout the winter season.
In regions where it gets cold enough for long enough, there is a risk of the contents freezing, which could potentially cause damage to the IBC
IBC
Intermediate bulk containers (also known as IBC tank, IBC tote, IBC, or pallet tank) are industrial-grade containers engineered for the mass handling, transport, and storage of liquids, semi-solids, pastes, or solids. The two main categories of IBC tanks are flexible IBCs and rigid IBCs.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Intermediate_bulk_container
However, this means that whatever liquids the IBC is holding will be exposed to the ambient weather conditions and affected by seasonal fluctuations in temperature. When keeping totes outside, freezing is a relevant concern during cold weather or the winter season.
Our high density polyethylene IBC totes, such as the caged IBC tote and rigid plastic IBCs, are rated to handle temperatures ranging from -20°F to 120°F (-29°C to 49°C) with a max filling temperature rating of 140°F (60°C).
However, without protecting the IBC from sunlight, or more precisely the sun's UV rays, they may only last around 2 years with high intensity, extended direct sunlight exposure.
Water can be stored safely for a long period of time in an IBC water tank, but it needs to be rotated at least every six months. Water can become toxic if left in plastic too long, so for safety reasons you need to keep it fresh where possible.
Keep algae out by covering your IBC tote to block sunlight
There's a final step to IBC tote rainwater storage that's very important if you want to maintain clean water. Over time, sunlight will cause algae to start growing in the water.
In general, IBC totes are engineered and built to be airtight to prevents contamination from external elements, oxygen, bacteria, or particulates so as to maintain cargo quality. Gaskets and O-ring seals are used at the lid and drain valve to ensure the containers are airtight.
The lifespan of a plastic IBC tote can vary widely and will depend on several points. These include the type of cargo the IBC is used to store, how the tote is maintained, and the environmental conditions it is stored in. With ideal scenarios, IBC totes can last 5 years and longer.
Can I stack filled IBC's for storage? Yes, full Snyder IBCs can be stacked multiple units high, as long as you don't exceed the rated gross capacity of the container or the stacking test load shown in the U.N.marking.
Insulated tote heating blankets are easy to use and highly effective for keeping IBC containers warm. They're made from thick, rugged vinyl and wrap completely around an IBC tote, using a low-wattage electrical heating system that consumes minimal energy.
The plastic used for both caged totes and rigid plastic IBCs is the same, the difference is in the manufacturing method and the amount of material used in production. This leads to the poly cage tote's lower cost and limited reusability, but both IBC types can be used in similar applications for similar cargo.
Tanks that are exposed to outside temperatures need some kind of insulation to keep them from freezing. Prolonged temperatures below freezing will eventually freeze a tank, either preventing you from dumping or preventing you from getting the fresh water you need.
Light Protection: Blocking light is the simplest and most effective way to inhibit algae growth. This can be achieved by using covers or wraps specifically designed for IBC totes, (and other methods listed below). Such IBC covers provide total light and UV protection and effectively prohibit algae growth.
In most cases, IBCs will require a cage, particularly if you wish to stack them and move them with mechanical equipment. They are also a lot more structurally sound than flexible IBCs, making them more resistant when handling or transporting them.
Answer and Explanation: If you place 0 C ice into 0 C water in an insulated container, then neither will take place. Melting and freezing are processes that require heat transfer to occur.
Per 40 CFR 264.175, a federal regulation which is enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, IBC totes containing hazardous materials or waste require a secondary containment system that has sufficient capacity to contain 10% of the volume of the container, or the total volume of the ...
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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