Gasoline Exposure

Gasoline exposure can occur in several ways. Environmentally, gasoline exposure can be caused by leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) or above ground storage tanks (ASTs), improperly stored gasoline, or improperly secured storage containers.

Gasoline exposure in humans occurs mainly by inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact.

• Inhalation – Inhalation exposure most often occurs when gasoline is used or dispensed in an improperly ventilated area. Some people purposely inhale gasoline to get high. “Huffing” is the process of intentionally exposing oneself to the toxic vapors of gasoline.
• Ingestion - Ingestion occurs when a person unknowingly consumes tainted water. Food that has been cooked with tainted water will also cause unhealthy gasoline exposure levels.
• Dermal Contact – Gasoline exposure can occur through skin contact as well. The chemicals in gasoline are readily absorbed through the skin, so prolonged skin exposure will result in an unhealthy level of gasoline exposure.

Gasoline Health Risks

Gasoline exposure can result in serious health problems, even death in certain cases. Most exposure is only serious if it occurs in large doses, over a long period of time, or a combination of these. Generally, the best course of action with gasoline is to handle it carefully and limit the amount of direct contact to as little as possible.

Long Term Health Risks of Gasoline Exposure

• The Skin – Prolonged skin contact can dry the skin, causing cracking, irritation, and dermatitis. Although rare, allergic reactions have been reported.
• The Blood – Gasoline tanker crewmen and painters have had adverse blood effects due to prolonged and repeated gasoline exposure.
• The Peripheral Nervous System – Gasoline contains a variety of paraffins such as n-hexane. Prolonged, repeated exposure to n-hexane is known to cause irreversible damage to the peripheral nervous system.
• The Neurological System – Long term exposure to gasoline affects many neurological functions. In fact, effects on memory, intellectual capacity, and psychomotor and learning abilities were seen in gas station attendants who were exposed to gasoline vapors regularly for more than 5 years.

Unconfirmed Health Risks

Several studies have shown other, unconfirmed severe health risks. In some studies the information was too vague, while other studies were performed on animals and therefore cannot be directly correlated to humans. Still, these studies show that gasoline’s toxic properties are intensely dangerous.

Unconfirmed Health Risks Include:

• Reproductive and menstrual abnormalities as well as birth defects in women subjected to prolonged gasoline exposure.
• Certain cancers were found in rats subjected to repeated, prolonged gasoline exposure.

Gasoline Exposure Prevention

The best way to limit the impact of gasoline on your health is to limit or eliminate gasoline exposure. When dispensing or using gasoline, follow all appropriate safety measures.

• Never use gasoline in an enclosed area.
• Limit or eliminate skin contact. If contact occurs, wash the skin immediately.
• Protect your eyes! If eye contact occurs, flush with copious amounts of water.

Following good safety practices is extremely important when handling gasoline. Gasoline exposure can impact a variety of bodily functions, organs, and processes. Gasoline is extremely toxic and should be given the same care as any other hazardous substance.

Early Methanol Production Methods

Wood Distillation

From the early 1800′s through the mid 1920′s, the major method of methanol production was wood distillation. This process used heat to produce charcoal and methanol from wood. As the wood was heated, it slowly burned down releasing methanol gas. The gas was collected and condensed to make liquid methanol. By 1923, methanol production had reached 30,000 tons, using over 6 tons of wood feedstock. This method was extremely inefficient and was replaced in the late 1920′s by a large scale methanol production process which used hydrogen-carbon oxide mixtures.

Early Synthesis Gas Methanol Production

In 1923, while wood distillation was at its peak, German chemists Alwin Mittasch and Mathias Pier developed a method of methanol production using synthesis gas – a carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen mixture. This method used a chromium and manganese oxide catalyst and required pressures from 50 atm to as high as 220 atm. Extremely high temperatures of up to 450° C.

Modern Methanol Production

Today, the synthesis gas methanol production method is still in use. Over the years, however, it has been modified to be easier, faster, and safer than the original method.

Modern Synthesis Gas Methanol Production

Modern synthesis gas methanol production uses a copper catalyst, which allows the process to take place at lower pressures. This modern low pressure method – LPM – was developed in the late 1960′s by ICI.

During the process, synthesis gas is produced in a reformer. To accomplish this, hydrocarbon feedstock and steam are passed through a heated reformer tube. Ratios may need to be adjusted through purging excess hydrogen or adding carbon dioxide.

The resulting syngas is then cooled and compressed, after which it is fed to the methanol converter. It is here that methanol synthesis takes place using a copper based catalyst. The crude methanol is then recovered and distilled down to a purified form.

Methanol Production Feedstocks

Methanol can and has been produced from a variety of substances over the years including:

• Wood
• Coal
• Natural gas
• Crop residues
• Grass
• Forest residues
• Cellulosic parts of municipal solid wastes

Although all of these methods have been used at one time or another, today the main feedstock used for methanol production is natural gas. This is because it is the most cost effective, convenient, and effective method. Recently other biomass sources have been receiving attention as possible methanol production feedstocks.

Methanol Numbers

Production

Currently, there are 18 methanol production plants in the United States which produce over 2.6 billion gallons of methanol per year. Additionally there are over 90 methanol production plants worldwide which produce over 11 billion gallons of methanol per year. Globally, the methanol industry generates $12 billion dollars a year and creates nearly 100,000 jobs.

Consumption

The worldwide methanol market is expected to reach sales in excess of 55 million metric tons by the year 2015. The major factor in this industry’s unbelievable growth is the increasing consumption of methanol in the Asia-Pacific region, especially China. Also predicted to fuel methanol’s high demand and huge sales is the rising use of methanol in end-use industries such as alternative fuel and acetic acid production.

What is it

Secondary containment is a system set in place to protect the environment from spillage, overfill, or leakage from storage tanks housing hazardous materials. Typically, secondary storage will be a dike system, concrete vault, or double wall steel storage tank. These secondary containment systems must have sufficient volume to hold all of the primary tank’s liquid capacity plus a hefty extra percentage to ensure proper containment.

Secondary Containment Guidelines

When storing and dispensing hazardous materials, great care must be taken to contain and spills or leakages that may occur. To ensure continued environmental protection and health, the EPA has set forth guidelines regarding the proper implementation of secondary containment.

Secondary Containment Volume

The secondary containment volume of a single storage tank must be at least 110% of the tank. Facilities with more than one tank must have secondary containment of at least 150% of the largest tank’s volume or 10% of the total volume of all containers, whichever is greater.

If the secondary containment system is open to rainfall, the system must be hold at least 4.5 inches of rainfall over the required containment volume. Secondary containment systems open to fire sprinklers must hold the water from said sprinklers for at least 20 minutes while still maintaining the required containment volume.

Secondary Containment Construction

Overfill Protection

Things to Remember

Stage two vapor recovery is the process of trapping and recovering gasoline vapors during vehicle refueling. Stage two vapor recovery systems can be used anywhere vehicles are refueled but are required by law to be used in almost all gas stations nationwide to reduce the amount of emissions produced at the pump.

Why is it Required

Gasoline is made up of hundreds of hydrocarbon compounds and additional additives. These hydrocarbons and additives may be blended in any number of ways to produced certain performance levels. Gasoline is extremely toxic, and its vapors are chock full of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and hazardous air pollutants, or HAPs. In the sunlight VOCS and nitrogen oxides released into the atmosphere react to form smog. This heavy vapor burns eyes, damages lungs, causes breathing difficulty, can be fatal to asthmatics, and destroys crops and rubber products.

Gas stations and other high-output gas dispensing facilities are required by law to limit the amount of toxic emissions that they produce. The use of stage two vapor recovery at the vehicle and stage one vapor recovery at the tank help to drastically reduce the amount of VOCs and HAPs that are released into the atmosphere.

How it Works

Stage two vapor recovery captures gasoline vapor that would otherwise be absorbed into the atmosphere during refueling. Specialized nozzles use vapor return lines to direct the vapor from the vehicle fueling receptacle to the storage tank. This design allows the vapor that is displaced while fueling to replace the volume space formed by the dispensed fuel. The collected vapor then condenses back into liquid gasoline for later use.

Stage two vapor recovery works like this. As fuel is dispensed into a tank, it froths and churns, producing vapor. This vapor is forced out of the tank by the pressure of the incoming liquid. If no recovery method were in place, this vapor would escape into the atmosphere. During stage two vapor recovery, specialized nozzles collect the vapor forced out of the vehicle tank and route it back to the storage tank for later use.

There are two gasoline vapor recovery systems used today – vapor balance and vacuum assist. The two systems use completely different nozzles and methods of vapor capture and rerouting, but achieve about the same level of vapor capture.

Vapor Balance Stage Two Vapor Recovery

Vapor balance recovery systems use direct displacement to reroute vapor from the vehicle tank back to the storage tank during fueling. Vapor balance nozzles use bellows and a faceplate. These systems generally use standard coaxial hoses.

During the vapor balance recovery process fuel is dispensed into the vehicle tank through the main tube. At the same time, bellows collect the displaced vapor within the vehicle tank as it is pushed out of the tank. The bellows connect to a line that transfers the collected vapor back into the storage tank where it will condense back into liquid gas for later use.

Vacuum Assist Stage Two Vapor Recovery

Vacuum assist stage two vapor recovery utilizes a vacuum-inducing device to capture vapors and route them back into the storage tank’s ullage space. Vacuum assist nozzles use either a vapor escape guard or a mini-boot. Commonly, vapor collection holes are found near the end of the dispensing spout.

A Vacuum Assist System is a gasoline vapor recovery system that uses a vacuum-inducing
device to collect vapor from the vehicle fuel tank and direct it back into the gas storage tank’s ullage space. Holes in the spout or at the spout’s base allow vapors to be pulled into the return line by the vacuum device. Vapors are actively suctioned from the vehicle tank using a vacuum, therefore the fit is kept intentionally loose to allow for airflow and to prevent vehicle tank damage.

It just makes sense to use a stage two vapor recovery system, even if the law does not require it – as in the case of facilities with a 400,000 gallon or less per year output. Stage two vapor recovery systems are better for the environment and better for a business’ pocketbook in the long run. The recovered vapor condenses back into liquid gas, reducing the number of tank fills required.

Vapor recovery is a process used to contain and recover environmentally hazardous and/or valuable vapors. In industrial applications, the process consists of a closed venting system from the storage tank ullage space to a vapor recovery unit, or VRU, which will recover the vapors for return to the process being used.

Vapor recovery units have become commonplace in the oil and gas industry as a way of recovering and converting gas vapor into a viable product. Ejector Vapor Recovery Units are a technological advancement in the vapor recovery field. These units use a closed loop system for vapor recovery and to reduce methane and VOC emissions.

Why is it Important

With the adoption of strict emissions laws at state and federal levels, it has become increasingly difficult for industrial factories and oil refineries to stay within the legal emissions parameters. Factories and refineries produce massive amounts of hydrocarbon pollutants which far exceed federal limits.

Beyond emission standards compliance, companies need a way to capture valuable chemical compounds found within gases that their factories release. The amount of hydrocarbons withing untreated factory emissions is staggering. Especially considering that these chemicals can be used to turn a profit.

Vapor recovery plays a crucial role in environmental protection as well as making more use from oil, natural gas, and other chemicals. Without vapor recovery, the gases released into the atmosphere from refineries and industrial chemical plants would be laden with environmentally detrimental hydrocarbons.

The process of vapor recovery drastically reduces the amount of hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere by collecting them for further refinement into other useful compounds and products. By using vapor recovery technology, companies make more profits while causing less harm to the environment.

How it Works

There are three main types of industrial vapor recovery methods in use today:

• Activated Carbon Adsorption Vapor Recovery
• Refrigeration Condensation Vapor Recovery
• Lean Oil Absorption Vapor Recovery

Activated Carbon Adsorption Vapor Recovery

Activated carbon is extremely porous and has a quite large surface area. This makes it a perfect tool for adsorbing hydrocarbons from within collected vapors.  Carbon’s adsorption ability is further enhanced by higher pressure as well as lower temperatures. Adsorption continues until the carbon is completely saturated.

Once the carbon is filled to capacity, the hydrocarbons are removed by a combination of decreasing pressure, reducing hydrocarbon concentration, and increasing the carbon bed’s temperature.

Types of Activated Carbon Vapor Recovery

There are two types of activated carbon vapor recovery systems.

• Pressure Swing Adsorption Activated Carbon Technology
• Thermally Regenerated Activated Carbon Technology

Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA)

The pressure swing vapor recovery system uses at least two carbon vessels in order to maintain uninterrupted service. Vapors are dispersed through activated carbon beds in one of the vessels, and clean air exits through vents. As the active carbon vessel adsorbs hydrocarbons the second previously used vessel is in the regeneration process. The hydrocarbon is removed from the activated carbon using a mild vacuum. Hydrocarbon vapors and liquids collected in the vacuum system then make their way into the separator vessel.

Usually, a liquid ring vacuum pump or a liquid ring pump in conjunction with a positive displacement pump is used during the regeneration process. The separator vessel separates the seal fluid from the vapor and condenses the hydrocarbon liquid. Cooled seal fluid is then returned to the vacuum system. Non-condensed vapors are routed to either a packed absorber column, direct contact condenser, or a refrigerated condenser. The resulting hydrocarbon liquid is collected and pumped to a liquid storage station. Uncondensed hydrocarbons are then recycled to the active vessel or a vapor holder.

Thermally Regenerated Activated Carbon Technology

This type of carbon vapor recovery system uses a minimum of two carbon beds, and is typically used in low vapor applications.

As mentioned before, a dual bed system uses one vessel to adsorb vapors, while the other bed condenses them. When the bed is completely saturated, steam or hot inert gas is used to remove the hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons then move on to the condensation process.

Refrigeration Condensation Vapor Recovery

This vapor recovery system was one of the first to be used. On paper, refrigeration condensation is simple – chill the vapor sufficiently to allow heavier hydrocarbon molecules to condense out of the steam. In practice, however, it is slightly more complicated.

Complications arise from the water that is almost always present in the vapor. Because of this moisture, if the vapor’s temperature drops below freezing, the coils can get plugged by a sort of water/hydrocarbon slush reducing the system’s effectiveness.

To counteract this, the vapor is chilled in stages.

Stage One: In this stage the vapor is cooled to just above freezing. This condenses most of the moisture out of the vapor. The water is then collected and the small amount of hydrocarbons remaining in the water are decanted. The waste water is then sent to a treatment facility.

Stages Two and Three: The second stage sees the vapor temperature reduced to a level that brings the hydrocarbon concentration to within the highest emissions limit. In stage three, vapor temperature is further reduced, removing more hydrocarbons to meet stricter emissions requirements.

Lean Oil Absorption Vapor Recovery

Lean Oil Absorption is another early method of recovering vapors. This vapor recovery system is fairly straightforward. Lean oil is forced into contact with with the vapor. This is most often done in a column whereby the vapor rises through the column pushing against the flow of the liquid making its way down the column.

Lean oil gets its name from the fact that it is devoid of hydrocarbons, or lean. When the lean oil and vapor are brought together, the hydrocarbons in the vapor are absorbed by the lean oil. If this is done for a long enough time, the liquid and the vapor will equalize and the liquid will no longer be able to absorb any more hydrocarbons. At this point the liquid is considered rich.

At this point the liquid must be regenerated. The hydrocarbons are removed and recovered from the liquid using heat. Afterwards, the liquid can be reused.

What is its Purpose

In stage one vapor recovery, vapors must be collected in the cargo tank as gasoline is supplied to the underground storage tank (UST) or above ground storage tank (AST). All tanks have fittings for gasoline delivery as well as vapor recovery.

Additionally, gasoline vapor recovery is a way of stretching the usefulness of gasoline further while allowing companies more profits. They hydrocarbons in the captured gasoline vapor can be separated from the vapor, condensed, and collected for reuse.

Coaxial Stage One Vapor Recovery

Coaxial stage one vapor recovery utilizes one pipe and elbow for both delivery of gasoline and gasoline vapor recovery. By using concentric tubing, gasoline may be pumped into the storage tank via one tube in the pipe while vapor is collected using another tube within the pipe. This limits the need for extra piping.

Coaxial stage one vapor recovery is an older form of recovery and is on the way to extinction. The use of one pipe for both delivery of gas and recovery of vapors  is both outdated and inefficient. The dual recovery method allows for more efficient collection of vapors by the tanker.

We’ve already covered industrial vapor recovery and stage one vapor recovery. Next time, we’ll talk about stage two vapor recovery and how it works.

Ethanol is soluble in water and may corrode some rubbers. Its solvent action may also require other special considerations when storing and using ethanol blends.

Storage

Different ethanol blends require different storage approaches. The higher the concentration of ethanol in a blend, the more corrosive it becomes to certain rubbers, plastics, and metals. Therefore special storage considerations must be taken into account for each type of blend.

E10

E10′s corrosive, solvent, and phase separation properties can adversely impact storage tank systems. Owners must also consider ethanol permeability and compatibility of metals and certain rubbers and elastomers when storing this E10. Older seals and gaskets on existing tanks should be replaced with synthetic varieties to prevent leakage. Marina owners have reported high occurances of problems when storing E10 is fiberglass fuel storage tanks.

Phase separation is a particular concern, as separated ethanol blends can impact vehicle performance to the point of breakdown. During phase separation, the gasoline and ethanol in the blend separate. Ethanol and water sink to the bottom, while gasoline containing trace methanol concentrations rises to the top. The result is an imbalanced blend that most likely contains water, and will almost certainly impair, if not ruin an engine.

Those owners who convert existing petroleum fuel storage tanks to E10 should completely clean and inspect tanks for damage and existing corrosion before converting to an ethanol blend. Also, it is imperative that all water be completely removed from the tank. Fuel storage tanks used for E10 should never have any amount of soft metals like zinc or aluminum in any metal parts. Tank components containing elastomers, polymers, rubber, polyurethane, and dissolved alcohol based glues and pipe sealants are all vulnerable to the effects of ethanol blends. In addition, ethanol blends should be checked frequently for particulates, water, and impurities to protect tanks and engines.

E85

E85 ethanol blend requires even more care and consideration when storing than E10. This is because the high concentration of ethanol in the mixture results in a more corrosive blend which can cause serious problems when incompatible materials are used, or when it is stored improperly or in an improperly prepared tank.

E85 can corrode aluminum, zinc and other soft metals as well as brass, copper, and lead, and its scouring action loosens deposits and sludge inside engines. E85′s corrosive nature can exacerbate existing corrosion in steel tanks. If tanks are not properly cleaned and inspected before the addition of E85, leakage and possible environmental contamination may occur. Tank owners should be especially vigilant regarding fuel filters. Improperly sized filters or filters of the wrong grade can allow impurities into fuel and engines.

Storage Recomendations

It is important to follow specific guidelines when storing E85 ethanol. Failure to use correct tank and component material will result in leakage, environmental contamination, and fuel contamination.

All tanks housing E85 blends should be double walled and constructed of steel, fiberglass-jacketed steel, or UL-listed fiberglass. Approved alternative fuel probes must be used, as petroleum probes do not read ethanol blends properly. Typically, existing spill buckets are approved for ethanol blend usage.

Inspect tanks frequently for moisture, particulates, and separation to ensure the fuel is of a dispensable quality. As E85 is highly corrosive, be vigilant in tank, pipe, and hose inspection. Any flaws or pre-existing corroded areas will be compounded by E85.

Important Points to Remember

Both E10 and E85 ethanol blends produce far less air pollutants than gasoline, making them ideal for fleets to meet stringent emissions guidelines set forth by the government; however, these blends have corrosive properties and readily mix with water. Therefore, it is imperative that tanks and all tank components be constructed of the proper materials and monitored extremely closely to maintain safety.

The Process

Biodiesel manufacturing requires strict attention to detail and strict adherence to production standards in order to ensure a high-quality final product.

Major Steps in Biodiesel Production

• Feedstock Pretreatment – Waste vegetable oil, or WVO, is filtered, removing dirt, charred food, water, and all other extraneous materials.
• Free Fatty Acid Processing – A standard base solution is used to titrate the clean oil, determing free fatty acid concentrations. Afterwards, the fatty acids are esterfied into biodiesel or bound glycerides or removed.
• Transesterification – A reactive base such as sodium hydroxide is combined with ethanol in sufficient quantity to cause a reaction to the triglycerides found in feedstock oil, converting them into ethyl esters, or biodiesel.
• Purification – After the esterification process is complete, the biodiesel must be separated from the glycerin  and excess alcohol that remains. The biodiesel will be used as a fuel additive, while the glycerin will be used in beauty product manufacturing.

Transesterification

Transesterification is the process of reacting the triglycerides found in vegetable oils and animal fats with an alcohol, usually ethanol or methanol to produce ethyl esters and glycerol. The ethyl esters, or biodiesel are used in fuel blends, and the glycerol is used in soaps and other hygiene products.

In a natural setting, this transesterification reaction is either exceedingly slow or non-existent. To synthesize biodiesel, heat and an acid or base are used to cause a rapid esterification of the triglycerides within the oil or fat. Note that the neither the acid or base used are consumed by the transesterification process, thus they are catalysts not reactants.

Almost all biodiesel is produced from virgin vegetable oils using the base-catalyzed technique. This technique is the most economical process for treating virgin vegetable oils. It requires only low temperatures and pressures and provides a 98% biodiesel yield. However, biodiesel produced from other sources or by other methods may require acid catalysis for transesterification, which is a much slower method.

Ethanol Sources

Petroleum

Surprisingly, ethanol – an additive used in petroleum fuels to reduce emissions – can in fact be produced from petroleum. In 2003, about 5% of the world’s ethanol was derived from petroleum. This synthetically produced ethanol product is indistinguishable from biological ethanol and works exactly the same. It is made by catalytic hydration of ethylene using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The ethylene and acetylene used in synthetic ethanol can be derived from calcium carbide, coal, oil gas, and other petroleum products.

Organic

Organic ethanol is derived primarily from carbon based feedstock. Because the only energy needed to produce them comes from the sun and all minerals and nutrients are returned to the soil after harvest, agricultural feedstocks are considered to be renewable resources.

Ethanol can be produced from a wide variety of biological feedstock sources including:

• Sugar cane
• Bagasse
• Miscanthus
• Sugar beet
• Sorghum
• Switchgrass
• Barley
• Hemp
• Kenaf
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Cassava
• Sunflower
• Fruit
• Molasses
• Corn
• Stover
• Grain
• Wheat
• Straw
• Cotton
• Biomass
• Cellulose waste and harvestings

Ethanol Production Process

Large scale ethanol production requires several steps to go from sugar cane in the field or petroleum products to pure ethanol or synthetic ethanol. The basic steps in this production process are:

• Cellulolysis of cellulose and starch into sugar
• Microbial sugar fermentation
• Distillation
• Dehydration
• Denaturing

Fermentation

During the fermentation process, yeast is used to ferment sugars producing ethanol. Currently, this fermentation only works with sugars. Starch and cellulose – principally composed of sugars – can be converted to sugar for fermentation, but cannot be directly fermented.

Recently, however, a large amount of research has been directed to the area of cellulosic ethanol. A process whereby the cellulose found in plant matter is broken down into sugar and subsequently converted to ethanol.

Distillation

In order to be used as fuel, the water found in ethanol must be removed. Water is removed through the distillation process. Due to the formation of a low-boiling water-ethanol azeotrope purity can only be taken to 95 – 96%. When used as a stand-alone fuel, the 4 – 5% water content is acceptable, but to be used as a gasoline additive, the ethanol must be further treated to remove all moisture.

Dehydration

There are several different dehydration methods of removing the moisture from an azeotropic ethanol/water mix.

• Azeotropic Distillation – Used in early ethanol production facilities, azeotropic distillation is a process whereby benzene or cyclohexane are added to the ethanol. This produces a vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium. When distilled the pure ethanol can be extracted from the bottom column of this mixture.
• Extractive Distillation – This early method of dehydration uses a ternary component which, when added to ethanol, increases its relative volatility. When distilled, this mixture produces ethanol on the column’s top stream.
• Molecular Sieves – This distillation-free method of dehydration used molecular sieves to remove water from ethanol. Ethanol vapor is passed through molecular sieve bead beds under pressure. The beads absorb water and exclude ethanol.

Denaturing

Denaturing is the process of adding a chemical to ethanol to render it unfit for human consumption. This allows companies using ethanol for fuel to bypass liquor and other alcoholic beverage taxes.

Storage

Methanol is a highly flammable, toxic substance, so extreme caution should be exercised during storage and dispensing operations. When storing methanol, proper precautions should be taken to ensure the safety and efficacy of the methanol as well as the safety of  the surrounding area.

The previously listed requirements are general. Companies should always check state and local requirements for bulk storage of any substance.

Store methanol in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and moisture. Be sure tanks have an inert gas pad with a floating, internal roof to minimize vapors. To minimize the risk of fire, fully enclose storage tanks in a dike or some other secondary containment system, and do not store methanol near oxidizing compounds such as:

• Perchlorates
• Chromium trioxide
• Bromine
• Sodium hypochlorite
• Chlorine
• Hydrogen peroxide

Storage Container Materials

Methanol can cause corrosion to some metals and plastics. Prior to storage, it must be ensured that the storage tanks or containers being used are constructed of the correct material with no traces of unacceptable materials.

Acceptable Storage Container Materials

• Mild steel
• Stainless steel
• High density vulcanized polyethylene
• Vulcanized natural rubber

Unacceptable Storage Container Materials

• Zinc
• Aluminum
• Magnesium or magnesium alloys
• Lead
• Tin
• Titanium
• Plasticized PVC
• Polystyrene
• Polymethyl-methacrylate

Methanol is a substance that must be taken very seriously. Proper storage procedures and precautions should be observed at all times to prevent health problems, loss of life, fire, explosion, and environmental contamination. The previously listed requirements are general. Companies should always check state and local requirements for bulk storage of any substance.