The Chem-Tainer 500 Gallon 20 Degree Polypropylene Vertical Open Top Cone Bottom Tank is built for process work where you need to drain down and handle slurries or settling solids. Molded from polypropylene and rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, this open top cone bottom tank stands 64 inches tall on a 52 x 52 inch footprint. Full of water it holds 500 gallons at roughly 4,170 lb, and the 1.5 SG rating means it is built to carry denser contents up to about 6,255 lb before you reach its rated structural limit.
Will it work for your process?
The 20 degree cone bottom is the shallow-angle option in the cone family. It promotes drainage and lowers residual heel compared to a flat-bottom tank, while keeping overall height lower than a steeper 30 or 45 degree cone. The open top gives you full access for manual filling, mixing, mounting an agitator, or dropping in a top-mounted accessory. Because the cone needs clearance underneath to drain, plan on a stand or elevated structure sized to the 52 x 52 inch footprint and rated for the full load: up to about 6,255 lb of contents plus the tank's own weight, concentrated on that footprint. That is a concrete number you can hand to whoever engineers the support. To confirm this 500 gallon size and cone angle fit your batch volume and floor space, run the numbers through our Tank Sizing Calculator and review the Tank Sizing Guide.
Fittings and the technical drawing
Our data does not list factory-installed fittings for this open top cone bottom, so the drain outlet size and location are defined on the technical drawing on this page rather than preset here. Spec your cone drain bulkhead fitting and its gasket to suit your chemical and flow, and confirm fitting locations and cone geometry against that drawing before you build out the plumbing.
Chemical compatibility
This tank is molded from polypropylene and rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, which is the heavy-duty rating in the open top cone bottom line, above standard 1.0 and 1.35 SG units. Polypropylene, HDPE, and XLPE each have different chemical resistance profiles, so confirm the resin against your specific chemical, concentration, and temperature before putting the tank into service. Match your bulkhead fitting and gasket materials to that same chemical, since the tank wall, the fitting, and the gasket each carry their own compatibility limits. Always verify against the OEM chemical-resistance chart for your exact concentration and operating temperature, and use our Chemical Compatibility Database as a starting point. If your contents run heavier than a 1.5 specific gravity, this tank is at its ceiling and you will need a higher-SG vessel.
Picking the right cone angle
The cone angle drives how cleanly the tank empties and how it handles solids. This 20 degree cone is the shallowest option, so it wins on lower overall height and headroom but leaves the most residual heel and is the weakest at clearing settling solids. If you are handling true slurries or heavy settling solids, look hard at a steeper cone before committing: see our comparison of 30 vs 45 degree drainage and residual performance, plus the buyer's guides for the 500 gallon 30 degree, 500 gallon 45 degree, and 500 gallon 30 degree with poly stand configurations.
This tank ships LTL freight from the nearest of our plants in Hanford, CA or West Babylon, NY, with the rate quoted live to your ZIP code. On a tank this heavy the origin matters: West-half buyers generally ship from Hanford and East-half buyers from West Babylon, so a quick ZIP check can swing the LTL number. Get your figure on the Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it for you.
