New Polystone® P CubX® tank construction sheet – rectangular tanks without steel reinforcements
With Polystone® P CubX® Röchling Engineering Plastics SE & Co. KG, Haren/Germany, has developed an entirely new tank construction sheet especially for the construction of rectangular tanks. Polystone® P CubX® is a cross-ribbed twin-wall sheet with a unique internal cube structure. It combines outstanding rigidity with low weight. Rectangular tanks made in this way need significantly fewer steel reinforcements, if any, depending on the size of the tank. The time-savings for tank builders are substantial. Rectangular tanks can be constructed considerably more quickly and easily.
Tank builders are familiar with the problem: even quite small rectangular tanks made of solid plastic sheets for storing chemicals normally require elaborate steel reinforcement. To protect the reinforcements from corrosion, they have to be clad with plastic profiles. These have to be elaborately cut to size and then welded. With Polystone® P CubX®, Röchling has developed a new sheet which will save tank builders a lot of time. The particular feature lies in its special design.
Very high longitudinal and transversal stiffness
Polystone® P CubX® consists internally of a homogeneous, orthogonal grid pattern, welded to two sheets on the outside, which form the sheet surface. The result is an innovative construction sheet with very high longitudinal and transversal stiffness. So rectangular tanks need significantly fewer steel reinforcements, if any, depending on the size of the tank. The sheet is also suitable for permanent contact with a large number of different chemicals, thanks to the proven chemical resistance of Polystone® P (PP). Röchling materials have already been used worldwide for decades for the construction of chemical tanks and plants.
A new standard for rectangular tanks
Röchling collaborated closely with tank builders for the development of Polystone® P CubX®, and made full use of their experience. Thomas Schüer, Marketing & Development, was significantly involved in its development. He explains, “We have already been producing solid plastic sheets made of thermoplastics for over 50 years. Reinforcements are necessary, however, as a result of the low bending strength of the sheets. We wanted to develop an entirely new sheet with which rectangular tanks can be constructed considerably faster. We are convinced that with its many advantages, Polystone® P CubX® will become established in the long term as the standard for rectangular tanks.”
Application areas
Polystone® P CubX® is particularly suitable, for example, for galvanising plants, steel pickling plants, sewage technology, cleaning systems, purification systems and for tank fittings. Other applications include lids and partitions for round tanks, enclosures for ventilation systems and retrofits and repairs for rectangular tanks. Great potential is also seen in areas outside the chemical industry, such as flood retention, fish breeding tanks and swimming pool technology.
Low weight and easy processing
When working with the sheets, tank builders benefit from their low weight and ease of handling. Matthias Klein, Product Management Polystone® P CubX®, explains: “Tests in our company’s own materials laboratory have demonstrated that a sheet made of Polystone® P CubX® with a thickness of 57 mm has greater bending rigidity than a solid plastic sheet made of PP with a thickness of 35 mm, even though it is only half the weight. So Polystone® P CubX® is very easy to handle." Working with it is also made easier by the fact that it can be welded simply using commonly used welding processes for thermoplastics, such as heating element butt welding, hot gas welding or extrusion welding.
Presentation at Achema
Röchling will be exhibiting Polystone® P CubX® at Achema 2018 in Frankfurt from 11 - 15 June (hall 8.0, stand B37) and presenting the advantages and possible applications of the new construction sheet to the international trade audience. Matthias Klein says: “We’re looking forward to talking to visitors in detail about Polystone® P CubX®. The key objective when we were developing the product was to offer our customers a solution for the more efficient manufacture of rectangular tanks. The response so far shows that we are headed in the right direction. But in our experience the chemical industry also tends to be rather conservative and does not unreservedly use new products with the risk of damage to a tank. For that reason we are happy to provide intensive technical advice.”
Product range
Polystone® P CubX® is available in the user-friendly 2,000 x 1,500 mm format, with a thickness of 57 mm, in the colour grey (RAL 7032) as standard from stock. Other colours are possible on request.
Product range extended
With this development Röchling is further extending its expertise in the field of chemical tank and plant construction. Röchling plastics have been in use for decades in the construction of chemical tanks and plants. Röchling offers a complete system consisting of sheets, U-Profiles, square tubes and different welding rods, as well as the proven tank calculation program RITA®. In addition, Röchling has extensive databases and many years of experience in chemical resistance and the successful use of plastics.
Please find more information about Polystone® P CubX® on the product page
