Tank containers are a common fixture in Australian roads. These containers are used to ferry a large number of items ranging from petroleum and its products to food.

A tank container is a serious investment, and you need to ensure that you get maximum value for money spent on this investment. This article highlights a few things that you should find interesting as you make plans for the all-important purchase.

Steel Is Not The Only Tank Material

Steel is by no means the only material used to manufacture tank containers. It's perhaps the most commonly used material for various reasons. For one, it's a sturdy material that has the structural strength to bear the weight of transit goods placed inside the tank.

Secondly and perhaps more importantly, steel is compatible with many of the items commonly transported using tank containers. The items referred to range from food grade products to hazardous chemicals and everything in between. Steel is compatible with food grade products because it's a non-toxic metal. Compatibility with hazardous chemicals stems from its superior chemical resistance.

Alternative Materials Hold Great Promise

Tank containers made of composite materials are increasingly gaining preference in the shipping industry. The increasing preference can be explained by the fact that composite tank containers are lighter than their steel counterparts and that they can carry more product than a steel tank would have carried with each trip. A lighter container easily translates into improved fuel efficiency, while the extra carrying capacity reduces the number of trips required. This is a logical explanation for the projected 5-10% reduction in shipping costs that a composite tank can help to achieve.

Don't Forget The Wall-Lining

Tank containers have their walls lined with different products in order to protect the tank's walls against corrosive elements that may be carried into the tank as part of the liquid/fluid or gas being shipped.

The best choice of tank lining will depend on the type of product that's to be transported. For example, containers used for gas transport would need to have a zinc lining that protects against tank corrosion. The zinc lining wouldn't be ideal for a container that's to be used to transport hydrochloric acid. The acid could easily dissolve the zinc lining, thereby leaving your tank walls exposed. Rubber would be a more ideal lining material for tank containers to be used in the transportation of acids and highly acidic solutions.