Used Cryogenic Bulk Storage Tanks for Sale

It's a vacuum-insulated tank for liquefied gas such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon, CO2 or LNG. It works like a giant thermos: a stainless inner vessel sits inside a carbon steel outer shell, with vacuum and insulation between. Temperatures depend on the product. Liquid nitrogen boils at about -320°F, while bulk CO2 is stored much warmer, around -30°F at the coldest.

Sources: Chart VS/HS manual · Air Products Safetygram-7 · Chart CO2 tank manual

Spec sheets give gross and net (usable liquid) capacity in gallons or liters, plus the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) in psig. MAWP is the highest pressure the tank is rated for, and the relief devices are set around it. The same tank holds a different weight of product depending on the liquid.

Sources: Chart VS/HS manual · Chart CO2 tank manual

No. A stationary bulk tank isn't designed to move with liquid inside and isn't DOT-approved for the road. Product moves in road-rated equipment such as cryogenic trailers or ISO tank containers.

Source: Chart VS/HS manual

UN portable tanks need a full periodic inspection at least every 5 years and an intermediate one at least every 2.5 years. Tanks for refrigerated liquefied gases can skip the 5-year internal inspection and hydraulic test if they were pressure tested with inert gas to at least 1.3 times design pressure before first service. Damage or leaks trigger an extra inspection.

Source: 49 CFR 180.605

Check the vacuum first. Frost or ice patches on the outer jacket, relief valves that keep venting, or gas venting faster than normal all point to lost vacuum. Then look over the outer jacket for damage and corrosion, along with the supports, exposed piping, paint and relief devices. Confirm the data plate is present and readable, and ask whether the tank was stored dry and inert with connections capped.

Sources: EIGA Doc 224 · Chart VS/HS manual

Read the vacuum-space gauge, or run a normal evaporation rate (NER) test and compare it with the rated figure. Chart's VS/HS manual, for example, says to contact the factory if a first vacuum reading is above 20 microns or the NER test comes in over the rated value. Let a fresh fill settle first; Chart allows four days of cool-down.

Sources: Chart VS/HS manual · Chart BulkLite manual

It depends on the manufacturer and how the tank was built, so contact the manufacturer before changing service. Where a change is allowed, the keyed fill fitting is changed and the tank is purged with the new product. Oxygen service needs everything cleaned for oxygen and free of hydrocarbons. On LNG specifically: that call is ours, not something the sources below set — we treat tanks built for LNG as staying in LNG service.

Sources: Chart VS/HS manual · EIGA Doc 224 · CGA G-4.1

At minimum: a readable data plate, the manufacturer's data report (such as a U-1A) and the National Board registration number. If the tank is registered, the National Board keeps the data report, and copies can be ordered with the manufacturer's name and NB number. Ask for inspection and maintenance records too. Repairs to the pressure vessel must be done by a National Board "R" stamp holder and documented on an R-1 or R-2 form.

Sources: National Board NB-264 · Order data reports · NB-415

Empty it: the tank isn't built to move with liquid inside. Lifting: plan for a crane rigged to the maker's instructions, with the lifting lugs inspected for cracks, deformation and corrosion. New site: it needs a foundation, usually a concrete pad, that meets local and state requirements, and the tank is bolted down before it's left standing. Before filling: purge it with the gas it will hold.

Sources: Chart VS/HS manual · EIGA Doc 224