I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas

Roger Hull wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.


I suggest using an old drum. If it's too tall, cut it off. Easy to make a
sheet metal lid for. Here's the deal, though. Try to get one that has no
paint and no rust on it. Sometimes drum companies strip their drums and
repaint them, and if they do, you can buy them stripped.

One pound lye per 3-5 gallons of water is a pretty strong solution.

Any lye solution will be more aggressive heated. Advantage of a metal tank
is you can put it on an outdoor propane turkey-fryer-type burner directly.

GWE

In article t,
Roger Hull wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas


NOT aluminum. Or Magnesium or Titanium. If I rememebr my high school
chemistry correctly (and I admit, it's been quite a few years...) all
three will die tragic deaths soon after contact with a strong lye
solution. As for "how strong?", well... That's almost certainly going to
depend on the "grunge" level of each piece you want to tank - Nastier
pieces will probably need a stronger solution, "light crud"/finish
cleaning probably won't need anywhere near the strength.

--
Don Bruder - - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004.
Short form: I'm trashing EVERY E-mail that doesn't contain a password in the
subject unless it comes from a "whitelisted" (pre-approved by me) address.
See http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html for full details.

"Roger Hull" skrev i en meddelelse
s.net...
I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide
or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for
the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.


Regular or stainless steel should be fine..
I'd suggest a 2% solution.. Not strong enough to do any serious damage to
your skin on short term exposure, but strong enough to remove the worst
parts..

If you want it more effective you could heat the solution to 60-70 C..

/peter

"Q" wrote in message
k...

"Roger Hull" skrev i en meddelelse
s.net...
I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium
Hydroxide
or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for
the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.


Regular or stainless steel should be fine..
I'd suggest a 2% solution.. Not strong enough to do any serious damage to
your skin on short term exposure, but strong enough to remove the worst
parts..

If you want it more effective you could heat the solution to 60-70 C..

/peter


If you use it hot be careful of stainless as some sodium hydroxide contains
chloride.

"David Deuchar" skrev i en meddelelse
news
If you want it more effective you could heat the solution to 60-70 C..

/peter


If you use it hot be careful of stainless as some sodium hydroxide
contains
chloride.

I work for a rather large dairy company.. The preferred cleaning process
for tanks, pipes etc. is a short rinse with water followed by 2% sodium
hydroxide @ 80C, short rinse w. water, 1% nitric acid @ 60C followed by a
rinse with fresh water.. The cleaning fluids are recycled and stored in
large stainless steel tanks ( 316L )..

Some of the tanks cleaned with this system are used to store brine for the
cheese ( 20% sodium chloride ), so contamination of the cleaning fluids is a
frequent issue ( The returnline for the cleaning fluid is routed between lye
and acid tanks and the sewer, but the conductivity sensor cant tell the
difference )..

The stainless steel tends to turn brittle and nearly impossible to weld
cracks on, but we have only seen this happen on really old equipment..

/peter

If you use it hot be careful of stainless as some sodium hydroxide contains
chloride.


Is there an issue with stainless and chlorides? - GWE

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

If you use it hot be careful of stainless as some sodium hydroxide
contains chloride.

Is there an issue with stainless and chlorides? - GWE

Chloride SCC

David Deuchar wrote:

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

If you use it hot be careful of stainless as some sodium hydroxide
contains chloride.

Is there an issue with stainless and chlorides? - GWE


Chloride SCC

Long on words, aren't you, David? OK, let's try again! What do you mean
by "Chloride SCC"? Thanks - GWE

"David Deuchar" wrote in message
news
If you use it hot be careful of stainless as some sodium hydroxide
contains
chloride.

Chemical question, shouldn't the protective chromium oxide on stainless be
attacked by lye to form sodium chromate? Why not?

Tim

--
"California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes."
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Roger Hull writes:

My questions a what material for the
tank and how strong a solution?

Cheap version is a Rubbermaid Brute trash can, if you watch the heat.

"Roger Hull" wrote in message
s.net...
I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide
or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for
the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas


I worked as an engineer in the food industry for more years than I care to
remember. We traditionally used mild steel tanks for the storage of our
caustic cleaning solutions and never had corrosion problems. The usual
strength of the solution was about 2-3%. Back when beer bottles were washed
and reused. the bottle washers were mild steel and had caustic solutions of
up to 7% and 75 Degrees C.for quick removal of labels. Again, corrosion was
never a problem.

Tom

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 7:27:32 -0800, Roger Hull
wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas

I don't know if I can find another racing fuel barrel , plastic out?
If its SS its mine. So, do you want me to find ya another? I've seen
plastic ones for IIRC $5-$10 in the paper. Let me know, I can spot the
metal ones a mile away if I need one.

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 15:38:10 -0800, Sunworshipper wrote
(in message ):

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 7:27:32 -0800, Roger Hull
wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide
or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for
the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas

I don't know if I can find another racing fuel barrel , plastic out?
If its SS its mine. So, do you want me to find ya another? I've seen
plastic ones for IIRC $5-$10 in the paper. Let me know, I can spot the
metal ones a mile away if I need one.

If you can come up with another metal drum that would be super. Thanks.

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 17:14:19 -0800, Roger Hull
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 15:38:10 -0800, Sunworshipper wrote
(in message ):

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 7:27:32 -0800, Roger Hull
wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide
or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for
the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas

I don't know if I can find another racing fuel barrel , plastic out?
If its SS its mine. So, do you want me to find ya another? I've seen
plastic ones for IIRC $5-$10 in the paper. Let me know, I can spot the
metal ones a mile away if I need one.

If you can come up with another metal drum that would be super. Thanks.

In the works. You know I saw one just last week, where the hell was
that???

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 18:46:52 -0800, Sunworshipper
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 17:14:19 -0800, Roger Hull
wrote:

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 15:38:10 -0800, Sunworshipper wrote
(in message ):

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 7:27:32 -0800, Roger Hull
wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide
or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for
the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas

I don't know if I can find another racing fuel barrel , plastic out?
If its SS its mine. So, do you want me to find ya another? I've seen
plastic ones for IIRC $5-$10 in the paper. Let me know, I can spot the
metal ones a mile away if I need one.

If you can come up with another metal drum that would be super. Thanks.

In the works. You know I saw one just last week, where the hell was
that???


LOL , ahhh Reefer ok? Got to pick it up between 7-9 am tomorrow !

Fast eh? ) Color not optional.

What 20 hours.

Roger Hull wrote:

I want to build a degreasing tank using Caustic Soda (aka Sodium Hydroxide or
Lye) as the active agent. I am already aware of the necessary safety
precautions and EPA considerations. My questions a what material for the
tank and how strong a solution? Thanks.

Roger in Vegas



old style potato peelers and peach peelers in the food industry used
strong lye solutions in carbon steel tanks. The lye tends to protect
the metal and I've never seen one actually rust or corrode out. The
carbon steel metal conveyor belting we ut in them lasted for years.

Don't paint it though....for some reason people liked to paint these
tanks (outside) during shut-down cycles while they were painting the
rest of the equipment that needed it. Paint lasts about a minute.


Koz