The Chem-Tainer 40 Gallon Open Top Batch Storage Tank (SKU TC1840AA) is a 41-inch-tall cylindrical open top tank on a compact 20 x 20-inch footprint, molded in natural white polyethylene. The open top gives you full top access for filling, mixing, manual batching, and easy cleanout, while the small footprint lets it tuck into a corner, onto a bench, or beside a process line where floor space is tight. Rated at 40 gallons, it carries a 1.9 specific gravity rating, so the polyethylene wall is built for contents heavier than plain water - useful range for anyone who searches for an open top tank or storage tank and needs more than a water-only vessel.
Will this open top tank work for your job?
Plain water at 40 gallons weighs roughly 334 pounds full, and the tank is engineered to carry up to about 634 pounds of contents at its 1.9 SG rating - real headroom if you are storing or batching something denser than water. Many white open top tanks are rated only to 1.0-1.5 SG, so this 1.9 rating gives you room to batch a denser liquid later without re-buying. The cylindrical body stands 41 inches high on a 20-inch base - a roughly 2:1 height-to-width ratio, which is tall and narrow for an open vessel - so anchor or restrain it if it will sit on an elevated stand or be filled off-center. Size the supporting surface to the 20 x 20-inch footprint and confirm it can carry a loaded weight in the 600-pound range. If you are unsure whether 40 gallons is the right working volume for your fill-and-draw cycle, the Tank Sizing Calculator and the Tank Sizing Guide will help you match capacity to your actual batch and drawdown rates.
Fittings and access
This tank ships with no factory-installed fittings. You fill and empty through the open top, or have a bulkhead fitting and gasket field-installed if you need a side or bottom outlet. Budget for that work up front if your process needs a plumbed discharge rather than top access. Review the technical drawing on this page for exact dimensions before you lay out a stand, pad, or fitting location.
How it ships
This tank ships LTL freight from the Chem-Tainer plant in West Babylon, New York, with the freight cost quoted live to your ZIP code. Because LTL pricing depends heavily on distance and destination, run your address through the Freight Cost Estimator for an exact number, or call us at 866-418-1777 and we will quote it for you. Listed pricing is for the tank itself; freight is quoted separately.
The mistake to avoid
The single biggest error on an open top tank like this one is treating the 1.9 specific gravity rating as a free pass for any liquid. That number tells you the tank wall can handle the structural load of contents up to 1.9 times the weight of water - it does NOT certify chemical compatibility. Polyethylene resistance depends on the specific chemical, its concentration, and temperature, and an open top tank invites evaporation, splash, and contamination that a closed tank does not. Just as important: any field-installed bulkhead fitting and its gasket must be confirmed compatible with the stored liquid independently of the tank wall - the gasket elastomer, not the polyethylene, is usually the first thing a chemical attacks, and it is the most common leak path on a drilled tank. For straightforward water storage, batching, and general-purpose holding, this is a workhorse. If you are considering anything beyond water, confirm compatibility against the manufacturer's chemical-resistance data first.
For above-ground installs, our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks walks through supporting a loaded tank properly. Ready to order this 40 gallon white open top storage tank? Get your freight number through the Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777, and our team will help you confirm fit, footprint, and shipping to your site.
