Black Liquor Tank Lining

The challenge

A black liquor tank holds hot, aggressive process fluid that attacks the steel from two directions at once. Chemical corrosion thins the wall and floor while suspended solids and moving liquor erode the surface, and the two work together to accelerate metal loss. Pitting opens up across the plates and the weld seams, and as the wall thins the tank loses the integrity it needs to contain the liquor safely. Left untreated, the steel keeps wasting until the owner faces a release and an unplanned outage that pulls the tank out of the process.

Our approach

We take the tank interior back to clean, profiled steel by grit-blasting so the rebuild and the lining bond to bare metal. We rebuild the pitted areas, the thinned plate, and the weld seams with a cold-applied 1000 Series composite, restoring the original profile with no hot work. Then we apply a 5000 Series immersion-grade lining keyed to the hot, aggressive liquor, so the steel and the rebuilt areas sit under one continuous chemical- and erosion-resistant barrier. We stage the work across the floor and walls so the crew stays productive and the tank goes back into service ready for the process.

1. Assess and mapWe inspect the floor, walls, and weld seams to map the pitting and metal loss and confirm the liquor conditions so the lining is keyed correctly.
2. Grit-blast prepWe grit-blast the interior to a clean, profiled surface so both the composite and the immersion lining bond to bare steel.
3. Rebuild pitting and seamsWe rebuild pitted areas, thinned plate, and weld seams with a cold-applied 1000 Series composite, with no hot work and no plate replacement.
4. Apply immersion liningWe apply a 5000 Series immersion-grade lining over the steel and rebuilt areas as one continuous chemical- and erosion-resistant barrier.
5. Inspect and return to serviceWe check the lining for continuity and turn the tank back over to the owner ready for the hot, aggressive process fluid.