are constructed of mild carbon steel, concrete, and some simes of wood (5), Other materials find limited use where serious corrosion or contamination problems are encount= ered. However, in the process industries in general, the ‘major portion of existing vessels are constructed of steel because of its low initial cost and ease of fabrication. In many cases such vessels are lined with lead, rubber, glass, or plastic to improve resistance to eorecsios. Inthe food industry fir ig commonly used for pickle and kraut tanks, whereas quarier-sawed white oak is"Ehiployed for wine afd spirits, Redwood" or oyprus tanks are often employed for water ‘rage reservoirs. Wood is also used in place of steel for handling dilute solutions of hydrochloric, lactic, and acetic acids and salt soltioas and is indispensable as a low- cost tank in the tanning, brewing, and pickling industries (6), In the food and pharmaceutical industries it is often meces- sary to add materials to open vessels in the preparation of ‘mixtures. Small open tanks or kettles are usually employed. for such purposes.- Glasslined steel, copper, Monel, and stainless steel tanks are widely used in these applications to resist corrosion and prevent contamination of the process materials, 1.1b Closed Vessels. Combustible fuids, fuide emit- ting toxic or obnoxious fumes, and gases must be stored in closed vessels (7). Dangerous chemicals, such as acid or causti are less hazardous if stored in closed vessels. The combustible nature of petroleum and its products necessi- tates the use of closed vessels and tanks throughout the petroleum and petrochemical industries, The extensive use of tanks in this field has resulted in considerable effort fom the part of the American Petroleum Institute to stand- Fig. 12. Oil rainy italtin Selection of the Type of Vessel 3 ardize design for purposes of safety and economy. Tanks used for the storage of crude oils and petroleum products are generally designed and constructed in accordance with API Standard 12 C, API Specification for Welded Gil- Storage Tanks. This is the standard reference used in designing tanks for the petroleum industey, but itis also a useful guide for other applications. Cynixpatcat, Vessets wrt Fiat Borrous axp Contcat fon Down Roors. The most economical design for a closed vessel operating at atmospheric pressure is the verti- cal cylindrical tank with a conical roof and a flat bottom resting directly on the bearing soil of @ foundation oom- posed of sand, gravel, or erushed rock. In eases where itis desirable to use a gravity feed, the tank is raised above the ground, and the fat bottom may be supported by columns ‘and wooden joists or steel beams. Cylindrial, flat-bot tomed, cone-roofed tanks are provided with “breathers” or vents which permit expansion and contraction of the fluids as a result of temperature and volume fluctuations. ‘Tanks up to 24 ftin diameter may be covered with a self-supporting roof; tanks with larger diameters, up to 48 ft, usually requi at least one central column for support. Tanks larger than 48 {8 in diameter are frequently designed with multple-( column supports or with a floating or pontoon roof which rites and falls with the level of liqiid in the vessel. Tn general, tanks with conical roofs are limited to essentially / atmospheric pressure. If domed roofs are used, prestures fom 234 to 15 tb per sq in. gage may be permitted. These vessels are normelly smaller in diameter and of greater height for a given capacity than tanks with conical roofs @,9). (Courtesy of C.F raun & Company!)