Chem-Tainer 85 Gallon Plastic Open Top Batch Storage Tank

The Chem-Tainer 85 Gallon Open Top Batch Storage Tank (SKU TC2832AA) is a cylindrical open top vessel measuring 28 inches in diameter (28 x 28 in bounding footprint) and standing 32 inches tall, molded in natural white polyethylene. The open top makes it a working tank: you can mix, batch, decant, and inspect contents from above, and you read fill level by eye without a gauge. At 85 gallons in a 28-inch-diameter footprint, it fits tight bays, mix stations, and benchside batch operations where a taller closed tank would not.

Will it hold what you need it to?

Filled with water, this tank carries roughly 709 lb. The polyethylene wall is rated to a specific gravity of 1.9, which puts the maximum rated contents weight at 1,347 lb. In practical terms, at 85 gallons that 1.9 rating covers fluids up to about 15.8 lb per gallon - well above plain water, most brines, and many acid and slurry solutions. That headroom is the reason to choose this tank over a water-only vessel: it lets you batch denser-than-water solutions, not just water. Always confirm your liquid's specific gravity against the 1.9 ceiling before filling; a fluid heavier than 1.9 SG exceeds the wall rating no matter how little volume you put in. For storage, batch mixing, and white open top tank duty, the 32-inch height keeps the rim at a reachable working level. See the technical drawing on this page for exact dimensions and wall detail.

Plan the footprint and the support

Size the location for the 28.0 x 28.0 inch footprint plus clearance to work over the open rim. An open top tank concentrates its full load on a small base, so it needs continuous, level, full-contact support. If you are setting it on an outdoor pad, our concrete pad sizing guide walks through the ACI framework for above-ground polyethylene tanks. If you are still deciding on capacity, the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide help you match gallons to your batch cycle, and the water reuse tank topology guide covers grey-water, rainwater, and condensate aggregation if this is part of a larger storage train.

The mistake to avoid

The single most common error on an open top tank is treating the SG rating as optional. The 1.9 figure is the wall's structural limit, not a suggestion - filling it with a fluid heavier than 1.9 specific gravity puts the wall under load it was not molded to carry. Know your fluid's SG first. The second is assuming the tank arrives plumbed: no fittings are factory-listed on this model, so specify a bulkhead or drain at order time, or plan to decant and pump over the open rim.

This tank ships LTL freight from the nearest of our two stocking plants - Hanford, CA or West Babylon, NY. Two coasts of stock means a shorter lane and lower freight for most ZIPs, with the carrier matched to your delivery address. Get a live rate with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it for you. Freight is quoted separately from the tank price.