The Chem-Tainer 55 Gallon 15-Degree Vertical Cone Bottom Tank (SKU TC3018CA) is a polyethylene open-top, cone-bottom vessel built for batch chemical service where you want the contents to drain toward a single low point instead of pooling on a flat floor. With a 30 x 30 inch footprint and a 55-gallon working volume, this is an open-top cone bottom tank sized as a process and day-tank - mixing, settling, dosing, and clean drawdown - not a sealed bulk storage tank. Confirm the overall height against the technical drawing on this page before you build clearance around it.
Will it work for your application?
This tank carries a 2.0 specific gravity rating, which suits dense chemicals rather than just water. To size the load correctly: filled with plain water (SG 1.0) the contents weigh roughly 459 lb, and at the full 2.0 SG rating the contents can reach about 917 lb. One detail buyers miss on this configuration - it is a cone bottom NO Stand tank. A cone bottom cannot sit on a flat pad; it needs a separately specified stand or support ring (not included) to elevate the cone so it drains as designed. Spec the stand, then size your containment pad, skirt, or platform for the full 917 lb plus the tank and stand weight. The open top makes filling, manual additions, and visual level checks straightforward, while the 15-degree cone gives gentle drainage for low-solids liquids - if you are running heavier slurries or want faster, more complete drawdown, compare cone angles in our 30 vs 45 degree drainage comparison and the cone bottom buyer's guide. Use the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide to confirm 55 gallons matches your batch volume. Fittings and bulkhead outlets are not pre-specified in our data for this tank, so plan to confirm and order them to your chemical (PVC, CPVC, PP, or 316SS per the chart below); our top fitting placement guide walks through laying out vent, fill, and drain to avoid cross-contamination.
Chemical compatibility
This is a polyethylene tank rated to 2.0 specific gravity. The resin is listed as high-density linear polyethylene (HDLPE) but is shown unconfirmed in our data - for the stress-crack-prone services in the list below (sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and the concentrated acids), confirm HDLPE versus crosslinked (XLPE) in writing before you order, because that distinction drives stress-cracking resistance. Always verify against the OEM chemical-resistance chart for your exact concentration and temperature. Match fitting and gasket as a system: most salts and glycols run on PVC fittings with EPDM gaskets, but the oxidizers and strong acids - sodium hypochlorite (under 16.5%), hydrogen peroxide (50%), hydrochloric acid (37%), hydrofluoric acid (48%), hydrofluosilicic acid (26%), phosphoric acid (85%), and sulfuric acid (98%, CPVC) - call for Viton, and peracetic acid (30%) wants 316SS with an Aflas gasket. Route metal-fitting chemicals to 316SS rather than PVC: diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) (32.5%, EPDM), peracetic acid, propylene glycol (PP/316SS), and zinc orthophosphate (PP/316SS). The full EPDM/PVC list includes acetic acid (60%, PP/PVC), aluminum sulfate (50%), calcium chloride (40%), ethylene glycol (100%), ferric chloride (50%), ferric sulfate (60%), ferrous sulfate (20%), magnesium chloride (30%), polyaluminum chloride, potassium carbonate (50%), potassium hydroxide (saturated), sodium bisulfate (PVC/PP), sodium bisulfite (PVC/PP), sodium carbonate (30%), sodium thiosulfate (40%), urea solution (50%, PP/PVC), and ozonated water (up to 10 PPM). Full data lives in our Chemical Compatibility Database.
The mistake to avoid
The classic error on a small cone-bottom dosing tank is treating the 2.0 SG rating as the only number that matters and then plumbing it with whatever fittings are on the shelf. The tank wall may handle a heavy chemical, but if the gasket is EPDM where the chart calls for Viton - sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, the concentrated acids - the seal degrades long before the tank does. Match resin, fitting, and gasket as a system, confirm HDLPE versus XLPE for your specific chemical, account for the required stand, and check concentration and temperature against the OEM chart instead of a rule of thumb.
This open top cone bottom tank ships LTL freight from Chem-Tainer's West Babylon, NY plant, quoted live to your ZIP code. Get an exact freight rate with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote the freight and confirm the right stand, fitting, and gasket package for your chemical before it ships.
