Spanish Air / Water Storage Tank Industry Development
Different from air tanks storing flammable, explosive, toxic, or highly reactive gases, the design of air tanks storing air /inert gases/water focus more on contamination prevention and maintaining medium purity. The technological level of such tanks shows a country's capabilities in high-end manufacturing, materials science, and precision chemicals.
By integrating into the European standards system, Spanish air/water storage tanks have become highly competitive in these demanding markets. Its development is closely linked to industrialization, technological innovation, and safety regulations, and has gone through the following key stages:
In the mid-20th century, Spain's industrialization was at relatively low level, mainly using low-carbon steel. Carbon steel is easily to rust for water storage, leading to water pollution, tank corrosion, and shorter lifetime. Simple interiro rust-proof coating had limit effectiveness. For air /inert gases, carbon steel tanks will oxidize in humid environments,the falling oxide scale will contaminate the gas purity, which was not suitable for high-purity gases.
From 1970 to 1990, Spainsh underwent industrial upgrading, stainless steel became inevitable choice for high-standard applications. 304 or 316L stainless steel perfectly sloved corrosion and contamination problem. For water storage tanks, 316L stainless steel, due to its superior resistance to chloride corrosion, became the standard choice for storing drinking water, pure water etc. The interior requires no coating, making it easy to clean and disinfect, ensuring long-term water quality. For inert gas tanks, highly polished stainless steel interiors (such as EP and BA grades) significantly reduce gas adsorption and outgassing, maintaining high gas purity over time and meeting the demands of industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and high-end welding. Inner wall passivation treatment creates a dense protective film on the stainless steel surface, significantly enhancing its corrosion resistance. This is a standard process for both water and high-purity gas tanks.
Since the 21st century, air storage tank design has become more specialized and intelligent to meet the extreme purity requirements of high-end industries. In addition to stainless steel, Spanish air tank manufacturers also developped atmospheric pressure tanks (for large water supply systems) and stablizing tank (for water supply and boiler systems). High-purity inert gas storage tank valves utilize diaphragm valves rather than conventional globe valves to minimize dead zones and gas entrapment. All interfaces are specially designed to ensure tightness and cleanliness. For large liquid nitrogen and liquid argon storage tanks, the air tank manufacturers adopt advanced level sensing and pressure monitoring systems, enabling automatic replenishment and remote alarming. Online purity analyzers are integrated at the output port for real-time monitoring of gas purity, ensuring quality in the end application.
