Chemicals
Chemistry Matched to the Soil, Not the Catalog
Tank wash soils are specific, aggressive, and often bonded to the tank wall. Henry starts with what's in the tank and the cargo it came from, then matches the chemistry to it.
Start with the soil
What's in the tank decides the chemistry.
A hotter vat or a stronger detergent rarely fixes the wrong chemistry. Find your soil below, or describe it and let Henry name it.
Latex and acrylic emulsions
Latex that skins over in transit usually needs a pre-solve and the right dwell time, not a hotter vat. Pre-solves
Resins and lacquers
Cured resin and lacquer bond to the wall. They call for a resin cleaner or pre-solve matched to the cargo before the vat wash. Vat detergents
Isocyanates
Isocyanates react with water, so the order of the wash matters as much as the chemistry. A dedicated detergent and pre-solve sequence comes first. Pre-solves
4-ADPA and floc
4-ADPA heels and floc and friction reducers each have their own pre-solve. A general vat detergent is the wrong first step. Pre-solves
Tar, odor, and vapor
Tar removers, LEL reducers, and odor control for the heavy hydrocarbon and high-odor end of the work. Odor control
Rust, oxidation, and stainless
Acid cleaners, aluminum brightener, rust remover, and passivation to restore the shell after the soil is gone. Passivation
The product families
Seven families, one diagnosis.
Every family below is a line of A-One Chemicals and Equipment, which handles pricing, orders, and invoicing. Henry's job is to tell you which one your soil calls for, and in what order.
- Vat detergents: latex, resins, isocyanates, and caustic boosters for the main wash
- Pre-solves: the soak that softens a bonded soil before the wash
- Acid cleaners: aluminum brightener and rust remover
- Passivation: restoring stainless after acid exposure
- Odor control: vapor and odor at the bay and the plant
- Exterior wash: cleaners for the outside of the trailer
- Specialty products: defoamers, tar remover, corrosion inhibitor, decal and adhesive remover, LEL reducer, cement truck cleaner
The arithmetic
Cost per wash, not cost per drum
Dilution ratio, dwell time, reheat, and re-wash rate decide what a wash costs. A concentrate that costs more per gallon can cost less per tank.
Tools
Charge the vat right
Know what the vat holds before you charge it. Start with the vat volume calculator, then work out the batch with the dilution ratio calculator.
Chemistry lines sold and invoiced by A-One Chemicals and Equipment
Trial on your tank first
Got a soil that takes two passes?
Tell Henry the cargo, the soil, and how long it sat. He'll name the likely cause before you buy a drum.