Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

sulfuric Acid Spillage

There is a lot of sulfuric Acid spillages at the off loading zone in our plant. What can be done to avoid this? The acid is off loaded by railway transportation and the spillage is between the truck and the loading hole.

Midah Masemola
steel production company - Newcastle, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
2003

---

Midah,

Re your acid spill, no one can help you unless you give more information.

You say that the spillage occurs between the truck and the loading hole. WHAT is a loading hole? Do you mean an inlet into a holding tank? How does the spillage occur? One assumes that a pump is being used. Is there some sort of gauge or marker to tell one when the tank is full? Is it an overfill problem? One further assumes that if the acid is taken by rail, then it is inside a tank of some sort.

Give more info and maybe one can come up with an answer.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2003

---

What you need to do is construct a concrete slab, incorporating slopes to a sump, from which you can pump away the spillages. This concrete must be protected with acid resistant membrane and bricks. Many examples of this is available in South Africa.

Regards

Michael Wende
- Johannesburg, South Africa
2005