Secondary Containment Options

[AAEC]

We are still in the brainstorming stage on what we should use to contain spill of Fresh Acid and Spent Acid (sulfuric acid, conc. 91%). The existing primary containment is a steel tank and the existing secondary containment is a concrete curb or wall. We got cited for not enough secondary containment volume so our job now is to increase the secondary contaiment. We already identified concrete wall/floor type as the secondary containment. Anybody has any idea of other options to use as a secondary containment, for example direct leak to an underground reservoir and pump it back to another good tank, etc?

Thanks

 

[oldestguy]

I'd also look into using a soil-bentonite mix as an earthen berm as well as a basin floor for the area. First however, make sure the acid will not deteriorate that earth-bentonite mix. I'd have some reservations about concrete's ability to resist acid.

 

[AAEC]

oldestguy-thanks for the information. We use special concrete from Saureisen in the pass on other project(this concrete is good with chemicals with pH level 1 to 14). However, it is too expensive to use for this containment wall/floor project. We will explore the option of using earth-bentonite mix.

 

[AAEC]

We just finished brainstorming on the options for secondary containment on an acid storage tank. One option we came up with is to use an outer shell for each tank in the area. Anybody has any suggestion or experience installing an outer shell enclosing the existing acid tank?

 

[dmw0001]

a suggestion to your concrete curb(wall)/floor: use low water cement ratio, lean mix and blend with 70% GGBS. That will prolong it's service life by 100%.

 

[AAEC]

DMW0001,
Thanks for the suggestion. This should work for a secondary containment where if there is a spill, it is neutralize with sodiom hydroxide.

One question, did you have experience placing this type of concrete mix at a sulfuric acid tank storage area?

 

[dmw0001]

AAEC:

Yes I spent over 3 years on this front, and I even developed a model on predicting the concrete's service life in acidic environment.