ABSTRACT
There are many reasons why fiber reinforced plastics (composites) have been used to make vessels and storage tanks. The first reason is the good corrosion resistance of fiber reinforced plastics. In corrosive environments such as in many acids, fiberglass reinforced vinyl ester composites outlast many steel counterparts. The second reason is the low weight but high strength, high stiffness of the advanced composites such as glass/epoxy, graphite/epoxy or kevlar/epoxy materials. In situations where transportation is important, light weight can offer a great advantage. The range of properties of composites varies greatly. One can go from the low end composites of glass mat/polyester with a tensile modulus of about 8 GPa (1.17 msi*) 1 and tensile strength of about 103 MPa (15000 psi) to an advanced composite of graphite epoxy with a tensile modulus of 181 GPa (26.5 msi) and a tensile strength of 1500 MPa (220 ksi*). 2 The degree of material and process control for the different materials also varies in the same proportion. Needless to say, the material cost is of similar variation. Depending on the type of composites that is used, different types of composite vessels are produced.
