Contamination and Corrosion in Rail Tank Cars

Abstract

Despite improvements in tank cars since their invention in 1870, a major problem has always remained—the problem of corrosion and contamination control. Although aluminium and stainless‐steel cars seem to offer the ideal solution to this problem in some applications, the initial cost of such tank cars makes their utilisation impracticable for most users. It has been estimated that less than 2% of the 174,000 tank cars now in service in the U.S.A. are so constructed. However, close to 10%, or more than 17,000 interiors or tank cars at present in use, are treated with protective coatings or linings designed to ensure adequate protection for the cars and the products they carry. Customer demand for high standards of product purity is continuing to raise this figure at a rapid rate. Because of this trend towards the use of more and better protective linings, the ever‐increasing diversification of chemical products, and the once‐again rising use of railroad tank cars, Metalweld Inc., of Philadelphia, have recently conducted an extensive study of the problems encountered in the protection of tank‐car interiors and exteriors and the effect of such protection on the purity of the products carried. The results of the research indicated that, in practically every problem situation, protection of car and product can be achieved by one of the many protective coating systems available to industry today.