Fiber Tanks & Process Vessels

Supplying Corrosion Resistant Innovation Since 1982

Here at Composites USA, we love our work with fiberglass, specifically providing corrosion-resistant solutions to tough challenges. We pride ourselves in pleasing our customers and have been in business since 1982. Composites USA is locally owned and operated in North East, Maryland. If you are ever in our area, stop by for a tour. We look forward to working with you! 

COMPOSITES USA CAPABILITIES 

Composites USA is prepared to provide top-of-the-line solutions to meet your needs. We can manufacture fiberglass or dual laminate vessels, from plain atmospheric storage tanks to complex engineered vessels, with design options that include pressure, vacuum, agitation, heating, reaction, absorption, or separation processes. We manufacture according to the ASME RTP-1 standard. 

ENGINEERING DESIGN 

The structural integrity of all our process vessel designs is assured by our multi-discipline engineering staff, a diverse group with hands-on experience with process equipment as well as advanced composite design. 

FACILITIES & TOOLING 

A modern manufacturing plant optimized for the construction of fiberglass vessels and related equipment has been equipped with fixed and expandable mandrels to manufacture virtually any size in common use. Processes available include hand lay-up as well as either chop hoop or helical filament winding. Various standard head configurations are available in flat, ASME dished, or cone. Our in-house tooling department can manufacture specialized patterns and molds for those projects requiring it. 

VESSEL MATERIALS 

Process and storage vessels are routinely manufactured using the workhorse materials of the industry: vinyl ester and isophthalic polyester resin. Composites USA also manufactures vessels with epoxy, furan ( furfural alcohol ), and proprietary thermoset resins and can offer fluoropolymer-lined dual laminate construction for corrosive environments where only the most corrosion-resistant materials will do. Reinforcement is typically a high-strength ECR glass with either C-veil or synthetic veils, but we have also worked with many other reinforcements, including the higher-strength S-glass and aramid fibers. FDA-approvable, electrically conductive, and other materials can be used if appropriate for the service. 

 ACCESSORIES 

Composites USA offers all the accessories required to offer a complete system. These include flanged nozzles, threaded coupling connections, manways, lifting and hold-down lugs, legs, siphon tubes, spargers, dip-pipes, heating coils or external blankets, insulation, baffles, agitator supports, miscellaneous internal supports, platforms, ladders, skid mounting, and mechanical and instrumentation packages. 

FIELD INSTALLATION & OTHER SERVICES 

Field installation, modification & repair with ASME RTP-1 qualified technicians is available for all of our equipment and most fiberglass equipment manufactured by “others”. Hydrostatic testing, electrical resistance testing for electrically conductive vessels, and other tests are available on completed vessels. Our laminate testing capabilities include physical property testing for % glass, tensile strengths and flex modulus. 

QUALITY ASSURANCE YOU CAN COUNT ON 

Our semiconductor, chemical, and aerospace customers’ requirements drive our Quality Assurance process. It has also been independently audited and passed the requirements of Factory Mutual, UL, and the U.S. Government Mil-I-45208. 

With a Composites USA manufactured product, you can be assured all raw materials have been tested and certified to meet supplier requirements. You are also assured that all vessel manufacturing has been completed by a Composites USA technician trained, tested, and certified as proficient in his areas of expertise. Finally, you are assured that the vessel has been inspected to meet customer and Composites USA requirements prior to shipment. 

OTHER COMPOSITES USA PRODUCTS 

• Dual Laminate Equipment & Structures
• Class 1 Flame Resistant Duct – FlameGuard
• FM Approved / UL Listed FRP Duct – DualGuard Scrubbers & Strippers
• Duct and Pipe Assemblies
• Stacks
• Flanges for Tank or Pipe Replacement
• Antennas
• Covers, Lids, Weirs, Troughs, Pans, etc.
• Thermoman – A Fire Retardant Test Mannequin for Testing Fire Retardent Clothing

 SERVICES 

• Consulting
• Design / Engineering
• Manufacturing Construction
• Inspection/Testing
• Field Installation
• Field Repairs

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 

Filament-wound or premium corrosion-resistant contact-molded tanks and vessels for simple storage or complex manufacturing can be sourced with complete confidence through Composites USA. We provide state-of-the-art engineering, world-class execution, and unbeatable value to meet your process requirements. 

Vessel design begins with an analysis of the operating environment. The solution to be stored or processed, along with the operating temperature, typically determines the most effective resin system to be employed. The remaining environmental design parameters, such as capacity, vacuum or pressure, wind load, seismic forces, and corrosion allowances, as well as loads imposed by agitation, platforms, or other sources, are then analyzed to provide the most cost-effective laminate type and fabrication method. 

The following are some guidelines to help you better understand fiberglass vessels’ capabilities and how a fiberglass vessel from Composites USA will help guarantee your project’s success. 

ENGINEERING: Composites USA uses proprietary software models to aid in the evaluation of vessels based on the requirements of ASME RTP-1 for modern fiberglass vessel design. Key parameters for such model evaluation include proper design for wind, seismic, and vacuum loads, lift and hold down lugs, and nozzle flanges. One invaluable tool includes RTP-1 strength and strain calculations for cylindrical laminate analysis used for evaluating a wide variety of tank applications. With this tool, the effect of substitution or modification of any component in a laminate is readily shown. Predicted laminate properties can immediately be verified in the Composites USA laboratory with a test apparatus for tensile strength, flexural strength, modulus, and others. 

CORROSION RESISTANCE: All Composites USA vessels are corrosion-resistant inside and out, withstanding internal chemical attacks as well as external contact from spills or fumes. Vessels are constructed using various thermosetting resins such as modified polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxy, and furans (furfural alcohols). For extremely aggressive environments, Composites USA offers dual laminate construction with a variety of thermoplastic liners. 

TEMPERATURE LIMITATIONS: The upper use temperature for fiberglass vessels varies significantly depending on the resin and the processed solution. General limitations of 150°- 170°F for isophthalic polyesters and 200°-220°F for vinyl esters are standard, but there are many reported uses of fiberglass vessels at temperatures approaching 300°F as well. Specific recommendations can be made upon request. 

PRESSURE OR VACUUM: Composites USA routinely designs vessels for internal or external pressure (above or below ground) using proprietary computer modeling programs. Although ASME dish heads are the most efficient configuration, flat, cone, or hemispherical heads can be designed and constructed to meet process requirements. For external pressure (vacuum) tanks, external stiffening ribs for shell sections are provided. 

DUAL CONTAINMENT: We offer several methods for dual containment construction to address various local regulatory criteria for containment vessel surge volume and instrumentation requirements. These vessels can be supplied with or without leak detection systems.  

CERTIFICATION: You can be assured that all raw materials have been tested and certified per ASME RTP-1. We guarantee that all vessel fabrication has been completed by a trained and certified Composites USA technician and that vessels have been inspected at the required hold points to meet Composites USA Quality requirements.  

QUALITY ASSURANCE: Driven by the requirements of our chemical process and aerospace customers, our Quality Assurance program has been independently audited for compliance with the requirements of Factory Mutual, Underwriters Laboratories, ASME NQA-1, and the U.S. Government Mil-I-45208. The QA process also accommodates the requirements of the more recently formulated ASME RTP-1 guidelines, specifically developed for fiberglass-reinforced vessels.  

Required wall thickness for vessel design conditions is routinely calculated using industry guidelines (ASME RTP-1, ASTM 3299, NBS PS 15-69, etc.) for factors of safety on a case-by-case basis. These calculations incorporate vessel geometry, liquid-specific gravity, temperature, design pressure/ vacuum, wind, and seismic information.  

The results of thickness testing are a standard Quality document supplied with each vessel at no extra cost to the customer.  

MAINTENANCE-FREE: Vessels are available with either natural resin coloration or a pigmented topcoat. All vessels are given a resin-rich, external shop coating, eliminating the need for painting and making them virtually maintenance-free.  

FIELD INSTALLATION: Approximately one-third the weight of a comparable steel tank, fiberglass tanks from Composites USA are easily installed in much less time with less costly equipment. For oversized vessels with shipping restrictions, Composites USA offers field installation for shop prefabricated vessel sections. 

Composites USA originated in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1982 as a high-quality fiberglass/corrosion-resistant products fabricator. The manufacturing staff produced the products/equipment, while the company’s field service staff installed and maintained the equipment at multiple chemical processing facilities across the northeast states. Since 1995, Composites USA has been located in North East, MD, conveniently located off of I95 between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Over the years, Composites USA expanded distribution and service throughout the United States and North America. The company expanded its years of experience with FRP corrosion-resistant products back to the 1950s when Jones and Hunt were acquired in 1994. We are passionate about working with composites and pride ourselves on meeting and exceeding each of our customers’ expectations. Our plant is 50,000 sq. ft., and we are able to support almost any production or site project, regardless of location. We maintain an experienced field service Supervisor and field service team. Each week finds the team performing installation and repair at sites throughout the Northeastern states. We often travel beyond this region to install and perform repairs