Veg oil storage

[muns53]

Questions for all as I continue to build my set-up and storage and evaluate tank options, etc.

I notice there's a lot of discussion of poly and most folks are using totes or other plastic barrels. Also, I notice all the heated vehicle tanks are designed out of aluminum and not steel.

Is the going wisdom that metal tanks are no good to store VO? A parallel question - is aluminum okay for mid-term storage (as in in-the-vehicle) but not steel?

Reasons I'm asking are twofold. First, because I am still considering options for the truck tank. Second, for storage, I have a line on a 1000-gal steel storage tank with a pump unit for $100 and some other large 800 and 600 gallon storage tanks for cheap. Also, I've found tons of postings on craigs list for folks giving away their old 275 or 330 gallon steel home-heating-oil tanks (ie diesel tanks), but folks are charging upwards of $150 for 275 gallon IBC plastic totes. The final thing is that I have a line on some $10 steel 55-gallon drums, but the 35-gallon plastic drums I've found cost a bit more. (This would be for moving around smaller volumes of stuff once processed for local moving around and storage, not for collection.)

I appreciate your responses and experience!
Eric

[Clay]

certain metals act as a catalist to speed the poly process, steel and copper are two that speed it the most. Aluminum does not accelerate it nor does plastic.
Take a sample of VO, drop a peice of copper tubing in it, heat it for a week or less maybe and you will see what i mean.

[greasyX]

Steel Tank+heat= polymerization

You can store in metal drum for short term,but eventually the WVO will take any rust or flaking paint with it.I use what are called "float drums",or "juice Drums",they are 55-60 gallon plastic drums that can be bought from Lumber yards and Agway type places(prices range from $11 to $16 depending on your locale and any "TAX".I would reccomend this way of transport,less likely for a big spill,and with a hand-truck you can move 4 barrels in the time it takes to pump out one.I usaully put 2 gallons of clean WVO in a pressure sprayer(new fertilizer sprayer $20) and spray out any junk,and let air dry upside down(I can clean 5 barrels with 2 gallons).Also IBCs can be had for $80-+ around here,so keep looking,I use the same technique to clean those as well.If you try your local Freight truck or train depot you can get them on the cheap......hope this helps............greasy

[Jack_Toepfer]

Would 2 gallons of #2 be easier to spray than clean WVO and also be relatively safe and efficient?

[greasyX]

I find the cleaning characteristics to help remove contaminents

The WVO seem to get out all impurities,and it is a natural cleaning agent.As far as #2,thats you choice,do you want to clean the tank or just make it smell funny.The same properties that help clean out your fuel system,will clean that tank without risking foreign matter.After all can you gaurantee there is no water in that #2(no),but my centrifuge says there isn't any(and the 2 months settling previously.Good luck....Ps use those tanks for pick-up first and then "put it in rotation",I mark mine 1-3(1 dirty,2 cleaned, and 3 in use with treatments added.....greasy

[skyskijason]

Steel is an oxidant that assists in the poly reaction, but it is far less reactive than copper. That said, I avoid storing VO in unlined steel drums. I have a bunch of drums that have a baked in coating. They vary from chemical drums to chocolate (the last batch we bought were chocolate syrup - picture a chocolate fountain!) Yes, plastic is fine but know that UV also expedites polymerization, so either dark colors or shade from the sun.

The last 275 gal totes we got were $35 ea. and came out of TX I think.

I used an unlined 250 gal steel tank for a dewatering still for about a year. It stayed full almost all the time, but I left it almost empty for about 2 mths and still have not gotten anything to drain out. I pulled the heating element out and it was covered w/thick, nasty chicken skin. I only heated to 100ish degrees and often settled for weeks before emptying and refilling. I won't use an unlined steel tank any more for VO. Which sucks, because I have a few of them now...

In the meantime, I've been dewatering in a 275gal tote. I have a giant 6000watt 240v water heater element wired to 110v. Gives me 100-110* VO overnite w/o insulation. I'm gonna wrap it with R13 batt I have laying around.

[Fordnut74]

Muns- Just my experiences- You can use steel drums to store oil, but hte barrels need to be full, sealed and kept out of heat. There are several things that can lead to polymerization, Heat, Steel, copper(ferrous metals), and air. If you remove two of the elements the chances for polymerization decrease dramatically. I have stored oil in steel drums for nearly a year at a time(while still in the Navy) and used it when i got home without issue. If you plan to store oil for anymore than about 3 months make sure you add an antimicrobial agent of some sort. It will grow eventually. Where handling, heating and filtering is concerned though you do not want to use steel drums for anything on the clean side. I use steel drums for my heating and settling, and that barrel is flat nasty. Also never want to use a steel tank for your vehicle. Some people will tell you that they have no issues, but the potential will always be there. And i have personally had a steel tank way back when I started that polymerized on me.

[Marv]

Being that we're talking storage...and I'm in the process of setting up myself a "clean" oil tank, has anyone had any experience with Trophocol?

I've got a IBC pallet tote (250 gal) that previously had fish oil with Trophocol in it and I plan on using it to hold clean oil once I've ran it through the filtering setup. I did a little research on Trophocol and it appears it's added to the fish oil as basically a preservative. It seems it's an antioxidant that is added during processing.

I originally planned on not even flushing out the tank being that it had fish oil in it previously. And, from what I know of Trophocol, it shouldn't have any adverse effects either.

So, anyone dealt with this before? Should I flush it or no? It's ready to go, just need to plumb it up.

Thanks!

[Marv]

Slow day on the board?

[Marv]

Still no thoughts on Trophocol? I'm surprised...I figured at least someone on here had heard of it.

[hokiesax]

old plastic barrels

OK, so it sounds like old steel drums are no good, but what about old looking black plastic 55 gal barrels? I got a few from a guy making biodiesel. He had only stored veggie oil in it but the barrels were left outside so they look pretty rough. The inside smells fine, but the outside rubs off black goo on my hands from the plastic that is decomposing. Do you think the inside is still ok to store oil??

[Snake]

Probably, but they're going to be messy to work around. Every time you touch the barrel...

[UW Mitch]

OK, so it sounds like old steel drums are no good, but what about old looking black plastic 55 gal barrels? I got a few from a guy making biodiesel. He had only stored veggie oil in it but the barrels were left outside so they look pretty rough. The inside smells fine, but the outside rubs off black goo on my hands from the plastic that is decomposing. Do you think the inside is still ok to store oil??

I've found plastic 55 gallon barrels that only had juice products in them sold as "water storage barrels" on Craigslist for as little as $15. I use those and a 35 gallon barrel (slightly more expensive, because not as prevalent). I don't ever have a super large surplus of oil so these work great for me.

~Mitch

[Clay]

I have 2-300 gallon totes to keep processed oil in, when i have an influx of oil and need more that 300 gal storage, I put some in the second tote. If I ever get close to filling both totes, I can always find someone passing thru that needs 50-100 gal.

[Fanderson]

I got 55 gallon plastic barrels from my local professional car wash for free. Just washed them with simple green, triple rinsed, and dried thoroughly with a hair dryer.