What material is more suitable for liquid sulfur storage tanks?
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What material is more suitable for liquid sulfur storage tanks?
Ordinary carbon steel will do; I’ve also seen ones using cement tanks.
Ordinary carbon steel such as Q235-A will do; using acid-resistant bricks for lining would result in too high costs!
Ordinary carbon steel Q235-A is used, with external insulation. Liquid sulfur itself is not corrosive.
Ordinary carbon steel will do; there’s no need to waste it
Generally, carbon steel can be used for the casing, but since weak acids are formed on the surface of sulfur, acid-resistant bricks lined with acid-resistant mortar are used to line the part of the casing that comes into contact with the sulfur surface
Thank you all for the information. I work in the petrochemical industry, where cement shells are used for the sulfur tanks in sulfur recovery units, with acid-resistant linings or acid-resistant bricks inside. This is a common practice in similar petrochemical installations. According to the designers, this is the standard approach. Additionally, in practical applications, the inlet pipes of submersible pumps made of stainless steel do not show significant corrosion when submerged in liquid sulfur, but there is considerable corrosion in the gas phase section; therefore, our focus has been on using non-metallic materials.
So, how should solid sulfur be stored? Should it be placed outdoors or must it be kept in a warehouse? It is said that there are many outdoor ones at the moment, but is the warehouse insured? What other issues should be considered in the design?
Solid sulfur should be stored in a well-ventilated warehouse.
There’s no need to go to such lengths~ the cost is too high. It’s sufficient to build an underground concrete tank; sulfur does not cause corrosion.
Pure liquid sulfur indeed does not cause corrosion, but this is not always the case; each situation must be analyzed on its own. Some of our grooves are lined with acid-resistant bricks, while others are not. Some carbon steel components suffer severe corrosion, while others show little to no corrosion. When using non-metallic materials, it is necessary to carefully consider what kind of material it is, as fire can break out inside the groove and the material will be destroyed in the fire.
Use ordinary carbon steel to make a tank, place it in a concrete underground chamber, and ensure proper insulation; if there’s a leak, let them merge together – it’s no problem.
Liquid sulfur is still corrosive due to the presence of free acids; the sulfur purification tanks and clarification tanks made of ordinary carbon steel developed leaks after 10 years of use, and inspection revealed that the area around the leakage points had become thin and corroded.