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M.O.C. for nitric-sulfuric tank for stripping silver

Q. Good morning, as a maintenance man for a plating company .my question is what type of tank can be used for stripping a mixture of 10 gallons of nitric acid to 5 gallons of sulfuric acid. right now we are using a polyethylene tank 24"x24"x18". this mixture is used to strip silver plating from a copper cup, it is left in the tank only a while. but with the heat that is generated and chemicals used ,the tank is getting thin and with time leaking. so our team is looking for a proper tank for this mixture. Thank you, Oscar.

oscar estrada
maintenance - el paso texas
August 18, 2021

A. Hi Oscar. The corrosion resistance of polypropylene is essentially the same as polyethylene but its temperature resistance is much higher; it's frequently used at 180 °F and even higher. I suspect that it will be fine.

It will be more expensive though, because it will probably have to be fabricated (welded together from flat sheets) whereas small polyethylene tanks are molded.

Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 2021

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