Question for you chemist/chemically inclined

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  • Bigtanker

    Cuddles
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    24   0   0
    Aug 21, 2012
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    Osceola
    Almost every fuel terminal or ethanol plant I go to, I can easily pick out which tank is storing the ethanol. Over only about a year, they start to look like this picture below. The black residue also attaches to other metal object near by. It's chalky and doesn't come off easily. It almost has a carbon feel to it. I've asked terminal personal but they have no clue.

    So what is this residue? Why only on the ethanol tanks?

    Ta6j6d3.png


    (Pic from Google Street view)
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    May 12, 2013
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    Camby area
    Learned something new. I've seen those around (specifically at the old Rock Island refinery here in Indy) but didnt realize what was in those tanks. I assumed it was some kind of overflow. (like it was actually full of something like crude, asphalt oil, etc.)
     

    Clay Pigeon

    Shooter
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    Aug 3, 2016
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    Summitville
    Learned something new. I've seen those around (specifically at the old Rock Island refinery here in Indy) but didnt realize what was in those tanks. I assumed it was some kind of overflow. (like it was actually full of something like crude, asphalt oil, etc.)

    You can usually tell when heavy petro [ like asphalt and #6 fuel oil ] is being stored in large tanks because they will be insulated to hold the heat in, and usually have solid roofs that dont float up and down with the product level...
     

    Bigtanker

    Cuddles
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    Aug 21, 2012
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    You can usually tell when heavy petro [ like asphalt and #6 fuel oil ] is being stored in large tanks because they will be insulated to hold the heat in, and usually have solid roofs that dont float up and down with the product level...

    I've seen a lot of the floating roofs go away on light products (gas and diesel) tanks too. I know every tank we've refurbished (25 year span from what I've been told) have been switched to a fixed, domed roof.
     

    eldirector

    Grandmaster
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    Apr 29, 2009
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    Brownsburg, IN
    I've seen a lot of the floating roofs go away on light products (gas and diesel) tanks too. I know every tank we've refurbished (25 year span from what I've been told) have been switched to a fixed, domed roof.
    I am guessing the fixed roofs don't have nearly the loss due to evaporation. Just imagine how much vapor gets released, if it is enough to grow fungus on that and surrounding tanks. And the gasoline tanks are doing the same, just w/o a fungus that eats it. "No Fumar" indeed.
     

    Old Dog

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    2   0   0
    Mar 4, 2016
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    Central Indiana
    Alcohol vapors feeding the beasties. You should see the distilleries @ Bardstown, KY. Rack buildings are covered with the black stuff as is most stuff nearby.
     

    AmateurE

    Plinker
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    0   0   0
    Jun 30, 2017
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    NWI
    Learn something new every day! I didnt know any of this , much less that we had a refinery here in Indiana.

    I know a lot of folks don't like to claim NWI as part of the Hoosier state, but I believe the BP refinery in Whiting was in the top 10 largest refineries in the US.
     

    Vigilant

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    Jul 12, 2008
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    Plainfield
    At least I was correct in not eating it! Weird that things grow on gasoline, everything I put it on dies, sometimes running and screaming wildly?:):
     

    DRob

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    Aug 2, 2008
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    The Rock Island Refinery on W 86th St in NW Marion county closed in 1993. I don't know what they produced, other than gasoline, but you could smell the place for miles depending on the wind direction.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Aug 18, 2011
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    Southside Indy
    The Rock Island Refinery on W 86th St in NW Marion county closed in 1993. I don't know what they produced, other than gasoline, but you could smell the place for miles depending on the wind direction.

    You could see the flames coming out of the burn-off stacks for quite a ways too.
     

    DCR

    Sharpshooter
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    Oct 6, 2009
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    Alcohol vapors feeding the beasties. You should see the distilleries @ Bardstown, KY. Rack buildings are covered with the black stuff as is most stuff nearby.
    Aha! I saw that last summer. Thanks for clarifying.
     

    DCR

    Sharpshooter
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    Oct 6, 2009
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    When I mentioned this to my wife who is from KY and saw the same tanks in Bardstown, she mentioned that a few years ago the residents of Smithfield, KY had run off the distillers who wanted to put a couple of tanks in their area. They cited the black gunk that got onto everything. Here's an article about Shively, KY with some interesting pics of black fungus on cars, signs, everywhere it seems, not just on the tanks. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/78dyqb/kentuckys-whiskey-fungus-problem-is-out-of-control
     
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