The Chem-Tainer 55 Gallon 20° Open Top Cone Bottom Tank (SKU TC2236CA) is a polyethylene vertical tank built for batch chemical work where you need to drain down to a near-empty heel. It holds 55 gallons in a footprint of 22 in x 22 in and stands 36 in tall, so it fits tight in a mix room, secondary containment basin, or under a fill station. The open top gives you full access for manual additions, agitation, or cleaning, and the 20-degree cone bottom moves liquid and light solids toward a center drain instead of letting them settle on a flat floor. This is a cone bottom tank rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, which governs every chemical decision below.
Will it work for your application?
Plan your loads around the rating, not just the gallon number. Filled with plain water this tank carries about 459 lb; at its full 1.5 SG rating it is engineered to hold up to 688 lb of contents. Use those weights to size your stand and to confirm your floor or containment pad can take the load when full. Because this is an open top cone bottom design, the cone cannot free-stand — budget for a stand or skirt that holds it off the ground while leaving room to plumb the bottom drain, so the tank and its 688 lb of contents are fully supported. For help matching capacity to your throughput, run the numbers through our Tank Sizing Calculator and review the Tank Sizing Guide.
Chemical compatibility
This Chem-Tainer is a polyethylene tank rated to 1.5 specific gravity. The exact resin marking on this tank is unconfirmed in our data, so confirm HDLPE versus XLPE construction with us before you commit it to chemical service. Always verify your exact chemical against the OEM chemical-resistance chart at your specific concentration and temperature, since both move the line on what a polyethylene tank and its fittings can handle.
At the 1.5 SG rating, this tank is suited to chemicals such as Acetic Acid (60%, PP or PVC fittings, EPDM gaskets), Aluminum Sulfate (50%, PVC, EPDM), Calcium Chloride (40%, PVC, EPDM), DEF (32.5%, 316 stainless fittings, EPDM), Ferrous Sulfate (20%, PVC, EPDM), Magnesium Chloride (30%, PVC, EPDM), Sodium Carbonate (30%, PVC, EPDM), Urea Solution (50%, PP or PVC, EPDM), and Ozonated Water (up to 10 PPM, PVC, EPDM). Match fitting and gasket materials to the chemical exactly as listed; the wrong gasket fails long before the tank wall does. Browse the full Chemical Compatibility Database for additional detail.
The mistake to avoid
The most common error on a 1.5 SG tank is putting a denser chemical in it. Several chemicals people store in cone-bottom tanks need a higher 1.9 SG tank instead, and this one will not carry their weight safely: Ethylene Glycol, Ferric Chloride, Ferric Sulfate, Hydrochloric Acid, Hydrofluoric Acid, Hydrofluosilicic Acid, Hydrogen Peroxide, Peracetic Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Polyaluminum Chloride, Potassium Carbonate, Potassium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Bisulfate, Sodium Bisulfite, Sodium Hypochlorite, Sodium Thiosulfate, Sulfuric Acid, and Zinc Orthophosphate. Several of these also call for Viton or Aflas gaskets rather than EPDM — Peracetic Acid, for instance, needs Aflas. If your chemical is on this list, step up to a 1.9 SG tank rather than forcing it into this one; call 866-418-1777 and we will spec the heavier-rated version for you. Note the cone angle too: this is a 20-degree cone, which clears free-flowing liquids but holds more residual heel and handles solids less aggressively than a steeper 30- or 45-degree cone, covered in our cone-bottom drainage comparison and the cone angle selection guide. For laying out vent, fill, level, and drain ports without cross-contamination, see our tank top fitting placement guide.
This tank ships LTL freight from the nearest Chem-Tainer plant in our network — Delano, MN; Hummelstown, PA; or West Babylon, NY — routed from whichever is closest to your ZIP to keep freight down, quoted live before you order. Get an exact number with our Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777. See the technical drawing on this page for fitting locations and overall dimensions before you finalize your plumbing.
