Eurotank Environmental’s (EE’s) Tanks & Industrial Services (TIS) team has completed the first phase of a major project to upgrade gaskets on petrol tank lids for one company.
The tank lid seals have been degrading since ethanol blended petrol was first introduced and some of the gaskets replaced were found to be wafer thin and ready to fail.
Some 90 tank lids have been completed in the first phase, with the second phase starting next year. That will involve 29 sites and 37 tank lids.
Eurotank identified the gaskets that needed to be done most urgently and replaced them with the higher-grade Viton material, which guarantees compatibility with higher ethanol blends of petrol.
EE’s TIS Operations Manager, Greg Wyatt, commented: “The condition of the gaskets we found during the project has really highlighted the seriousness of material compatibility.
“These gaskets will have been degrading since ethanol was first introduced to petrol back in 2004 because the material used isn’t compatible. Now we have petrol containing 10% ethanol following the introduction of E10 so it’s important tank owners are aware and have the condition of their tank lids checked.”
The job involves tanks being emptied, degassed, cleaned via man entry and inspected before ethanol compliant gaskets are reinstated.