Outdoor storage of highly corrosive equipment

[bdd1]

Searching for ideas as to the best method of indefinite, outdoor storage of high priced, corrosive equipment.
Will need a container which is air tight and can be pressurized (low pressure), ability to check on humidity inside the container and will stand up to the outdoor weather elements.

 

[CoryPad]

Any common container material can be made to meet your basic requirements (air tight, low pressure, humidity checking).

What will be contained? Temperature variation?

In general, metals will need corrosion protection, while polymers will nedd ultraviolet radiation protection.

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[NickE]

bdd1 -- Do you mean that the equipment is corrosive? Or do you mean that the equipment can corrode easily?

There's a big difference between the two.

 

[bdd1]

The stored equipment can corrode easily.
We need to store this equipment outside and I was searching for ideas as to the best type of storage container or to see what other people have used.
We are looking to utilize a container which is rather simple to construct around the equipment to be stored but will hold up to the weather and will be airtight and pressurized to a lower pressure inside the storage container.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Can you wrestle the equipment into an intermodal shipping container? They're available new, used, and refurbished.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[NickE]

You dont want lower pressure inside teh container. That will draw anything from the outside into the container. If it leaks, and it is going to leak at some point. You could however use N2 gas to pressurize the container to exclude moisture and other nasties from the environment.

Is this steel? Composites of different metals?

If for example this were a stamping die you could immerse it in a penetrating rust preventative, then a thicker oil, then coat it liberally with grease, then wrap it in saran wrap, then put a heat seal pouch, then a nitrogen pressurized heat seal pouch....

Lots of work.

How about renting a storage garage nearby, or a POD?

This brings to mind a piece in Battlefield Earth where the humans find weapons, and vehicles that were stored in the mountain.

 

[unclesyd]

Even if it's in a bag in a building the addition of a corrosion inhibitor will ensure that the material is the protected. Bagged in a building you can coat the component with Molykote Metal Protector Plus and then add a Cortec
VPI inhibitor.

Here is one, Molykote Metal Protector Plus, that I've used with great success in some tough environments

http://www.dowcorning.com/applications/search/default.aspx?R=419EN

Cosmoline

http://www.schafco.com/cosmoline.asp

Give these people a call.

http://www.cortecvci.com/Products/products.php

 

[NickE]

We use lots of VCI paper, it works really good on HRc 56 1095 carbon steel. (Which will rust if you look at it the wrong way.) My favorite rust preventative we use is called Dritouch from Birchwood Casey.

It has a very low viscosity and penetrates well. It also will not leave the parts oily. Its creates a very thin film. (What I was refering to as a penetrating rust preventative.) But I doubt that its better than a cosmoline over long term.

http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/rust/index.html

 

[0707]

You can use in-flate warehouses or containers. You can spray your stuff with an anticorrosive varnish and put it into the in-flate warehouse or container with dehumidifier bags.

Hope it helps

Luis Marques

 

[bdd1]

Any leads on the inflatable warehouse you mentioned regarding a web link to a supplier of this type of system?
Thank you.

 

[0707]

Were are you from? It is important to know to help you on the search.

REGARDS

Luis Marques

 

[bdd1]

North Carolina - Southwest portion of the state.

I would appreciate it if you could forward any web links for suppliers of the inflatable type of warehouse which you mentioned.

 

[unclesyd]

Here is just one of many companies that have inflatable buildings.

http://www.esidome.com/index.htm

 

[0707]

SOME MORE SITES OF INFLATABLE HOUSES

http://66.39.116.220/IT/emergency/

http://www.yeadondomes.com/sub/brochure/brochure.htm

http://www.thefarleygroup.com/examples/industrial2.html