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2 revisions | Katie Pierce Meyer at Jan 11, 2024 01:29 PM | |
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14Concrete Tanks for Cottonseed Oil Storage | 14Concrete Tanks for Cottonseed Oil Storage J. E. FREEMAN, Engineer Technical Bureau Portland Cement Association D TIRING the past 20 years the increase in plants producing cottonseed oil in the south has been more than -300 per cent. In the same period the in- crease in the north has been 85 per cent or more. The production of cottonseed oil in sixteen sou- thern states in 1918 was very close to $500,000,000. With the many extensions of use that have been found for cottonseed oil during recent years, the industry has attained an importance little dreamed of but a few years ago, and when an industry reaches such magnitude, :t is evident that all meas- ures of economy which may be introduced affect profits to a material degree, just as does neglect to introduce such economy and efficiency reduce profits and perhaps result in failure of the enter- prise. One of the problems attending the manufacture of cottonseed oil is that of storing the oil until marketed. This involves suitable tankage of short lived structures. Of course, there is a way to avoid this*, which is to build as nearly permanent and de- preciation free as possible. Any structure whicl requires continual maintenance to remedy or count- eract depreciation due to exposure to the elements or other causes, soon becomes an expensive proposi- tion and might better have been designed and built without regard to first cost in order to eliminate if possible the perpetual annual charges of upkeep. Of the various materia’s which may be used to build storage tanks for cottonseed oil, concrete in vites particular attention because of qualities char- acteristic of concrete alone. It becomes stronger in contact with moisture, does not rot. rust or in other ways deteriorate and is more nearly mainten- ance free than any other type of construction. Tin* average life of any kind of tank may probabV be taken as less than 30 years, with an unkno- . yet burdensome cost, such as painting and genei.d repair throughout the period of its life. The concrete tank involves no investment other than its first cost and because of this maintenance free characteristic, soon stands as a better invest- ment than the one which seemed to have a better favor because of considerably lower first cost. Since in most cottonseed oil crushers, the tanks are below ground under the presses, the concrete tank is the logical solution of cottonseed oil storage problems. Contact with the soil causes no deprecia- tion, regardless of whether soil is wet, moist or dry. The tank cannot go to pieces when empty, cannot mst when full, nor in any other way suffer injury through normal use. Because of the fact that the most convenient and natural location for the tank is below ground, concrete adds its insulating value to contents, which are kept at a fairly even temperature both winter and summer. As concrete can be placed so that the required tank shall have any desired form, all sharp corners or pockets are eliminated, thereby permit ting thorough cleaning of the tank, thus leaving no oil into it to sour. The success of concrete tanks for use by cotton- seed oil crushers is proven by examples of tanks which have been in use for a number of years. The Houston Oil Mill and Manufacturing Co.. Crocket, Tex., in 1916 built a 6,000-gallon concrete tank for cottonseed oil. This is below ground, the interior coated with a portland cement mortar, fol- lowed with a paint coat of neat cement. The com pany reports that this tank has been in continuous use up to the present time; furthermore, no bad effects have been noticed either on the concret or contents. Th Rule Cotton Oil Co., Rule, Tex., built one 1,500-gallon concrete tank in 1912 and, after four years of use, one 2,000-gallon tank in 1916 showing their confidence in concrete containers for cotton- seed oil. One of these structures was lined with paraffin, the other with neat cement. Both have been in satisfactory service from the time of erection to the present date. The Lenoir Oil and Ice Co., Kinston, N. C.. han- dle cottonseed oil direct from the presses into con- crete containers built below the presses. In 1914 a 2,000-gallon tank was built, finished on the inside with a 1:2 portland cement mortar. This company also reports entirely satisfactory results, with no effects upon either the oil or the concrete. The Baker Cotton Oil Co., Hobart, Okla., have about 10 concrete tanks varying in size from 6,000 to 12,000 gallons, used for storing fuel oil, cotton- seed and kerosene. These are for the most part circular, finished with a mortar coat. * In addition to handling cottonseed oil, the prob- lem of storing the raw cottonseed must be consider- ed. Here the concrete container has also solved the storage problem. Last year the Pine Bluff Cotton Oil Co., Pine Bluff, Ark., built six concrete tanks above ground for storing the seed, each with a capacity of 1.000 tons. The reputation of concrete in so many other structures and under so many |