Food and Beverage Projects Water Filtration Projects
Mariani Packing
Location: Vacaville, CA
Scope: One 60' dia. x 20' high Equalization Tank; one 30' dia. x 20' high Primary Clarifier lined with Endura-Flex 1988 elastomeric polyurethane (expanded) 100 - 200 mils dry film thickness. One 18’ w x 33’ l x 20’ high Sludge Tank lined with Carboline 9060 modified epoxy, 16 mils dry film thickness.
Problem: The waste water treatment plant at this dried fruit manufacturing and packaging company had multiple failed linings. The original supports were not seal welded, which allowed gaps to form between the brackets and tank wall. There was also heavy abrasion at the bottom of the equalization tank and a microbial attack produced sulfuric acid which was eating through the lining of a sludge tank. To make matters worse, the original lining was not suited to handle the “cold wall effect” which was caused by low exterior and high interior temperatures of the tank (see Cold Wall Effect data sheet).
Solution: In addition to poor corrosion engineering, initial installation of the vessels was the source of the problem. All attempts to resolve it prior to Goodwest were faulty and merely “cover-ups”. Goodwest was contacted by Siemens to design and install a long-term solution.
An Endura-Flex® 1988 elastomeric polyurethane (expanded) 100 - 200 mils dry film thickness was chosen to resolve the abrasion and corrosion issues as well as reduce the “Cold Wall Effect” in the Equalization and Clarifier Tanks. It was used to fill the gaps between the brackets and tank walls; merely painting the gaps would have resulted in corrosion behind the brackets. Choosing the proper lining for the Sludge Tank required extensive analysis to reveal that the microbes’ waste product was sulfuric acid which significantly heated during the day on exposed walls when the liquid level dropped.
