Case Study
When Traditional Linings Fell Short, ChemLINE® Helped Restore Confidence in ISO Tank Service
A leading global chemicals producer based in Houston was facing repeated lining failures in ISO tanks storing acid chlorides and chloroformates. A chance encounter with ChemLINE®-lined tanks from a previous lease, followed by rigorous in-house lab testing, led to a full-fleet conversion now underway across 40 tanks.
The Obstacle
Two decades of reliable service, then sudden lining failures.
The customer, who requested to remain anonymous, had successfully stored and transported various acid chlorides and chloroformates for more than 20 years. Recently, however, they began experiencing complete lining failures within their ISO tanks.
After leasing a new fleet of ISO tank containers, they found that several tanks coming off a previous lease were already lined with the ChemLINE® coating system, creating an unplanned opportunity to evaluate its performance in the same demanding service environment.
The Evaluation
Rigorous in-house testing before any tank entered service.
A fleet operations employee explained that the company hadn't been familiar with ChemLINE® prior to the inspection. Approximately 90% of the fleet was lined with a competitor's coating, but recent performance issues, tanks no longer lasting beyond roughly 2 to 2.5 years, raised concerns about whether the lining's formulation or performance had changed.
True to the company's reputation for quality and safety, nothing was put into service without lab verification first. As the employee put it, they ran a 6-month coupon test of the ChemLINE® coating in their own lab, and it performed extremely well.
- Prior lining Competitor coating, ~90% of fleet
- Failure point Lining failure within 2–2.5 years of service
- Verification 6-month in-house coupon test
- Service environment Acid chlorides and chloroformates
The Decision
A full-fleet conversion now underway across 40 tanks.
After successful lab testing and the selection of a quality applicator, ChemLINE® was chosen as the coating system for the project. The customer has been satisfied with the results, having already lined 24 ISO tanks with ChemLINE®, with the full project calling for 40 tanks total.
Speaking to the difference between hearing about a coating and experiencing it directly, the same employee noted that secondhand impressions of the coating are nothing like experiencing it for themselves.
- Passed a 6-month in-house coupon test
- 24 of 40 planned ISO tanks lined to date
- Applied at Mitchell Industries' 20,000 sq ft facility in Baytown, TX
- Ongoing support as additional tanks enter service
Customer Benefit
Lab-verified performance backed by quality application.
Much of the customer's ChemLINE® lining work is completed at Mitchell Industries' new 20,000-square-foot coating facility in Baytown, Texas. Mitchell Industries has successfully relined ISO tanks for the customer and continues to support the project as additional tanks are brought into ChemLINE® service, delivering increased performance, maximum longevity, and the laboratory support behind it.
We don't put anything into service unless it's tested in our lab. We did a 6-month coupon test of the ChemLINE® coating at our lab, and it performed extremely well.