Abstract
More than 400 Mt of dangerous materials are transported in Germany every year, of which 150 Mt are by road. Tank containers, tank vehicles and rail tank cars are used for the carriage of dangerous goods in large quantities. Data on the operating life of tanks are only available, in practice, to a minor degree. They are only partly published, mainly after accidents.
The BAM-List - Requirements for Tanks for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods, which has compatibility evaluations of metallic and polymeric materials, has been the basis for substance-related prototype approvals for tank containers and portable tanks designed for the carriage of dangerous goods by the BAM since publication of the first edition in 1989. These data are also used for the approval of rail tank cars and road tank cars and are used as a source of knowledge not only in Germany but also worldwide. Tank leakages caused by tanks or rail tank cars being made of tank and sealing materials which are not resistant to the fill goods are avoided by using the material resistance data of the BAM.
Corrosion damage is among the main causes of damage. Uniform and non-uniform area corrosion without mechanical stress in aqueous substances is one of the most frequent types of corrosion during the transport of chemicals in tanks. Much damage by pitting corrosion occurs during the transport of substances containing chlorides or substances which separate chloride ions in the presence of moisture. Operational stresses are caused by the effects of both the road and the dangerous goods being transported. Mechanical damage often results from long-term overstressing and occurs after longer operating times.
Operational failures cause damage which may appear during the service of tank containers, road tank cars or rail tank cars. The damage results from the inattention of employees when opening and closing the valves. Traffic accidents also cause damage to tanks and frames.
Many cases of damage are due to weld area cracks resulting from four basic errors in construction, material, manufacturing and operation. Manufacturing errors can be undetected and the starting point of cracks which only grow under service conditions.
Manufacturing errors result from variations in measurement and design, fittings, state of surface (hardness, abrasiveness) and mechanical surface damage (scratches, cracks). Incorrectly welded joints and errors during mechanical deformation are typical mistakes when installing the component parts. Variations in the wall thickness or combinations of different materials lead to manufacturing errors too.
A lot of tanks are not used for the transport of dangerous goods before the end of their service life as they do not fulfil the revised technical safety requirements in the Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Predictions in the BAM-List based on literature data and corrosion test results are reflected in the service (operating) life. Rail tank cars made of carbon steel, for example, which are mainly used for the transport of petroleum products, can achieve a service life of 40 – 50 y.
Rail tank cars produced of austenitic CrNi- or CrNiMo-steel can reach an operating life of at least 30 y, whereby the corrosiveness of the transport substances plays an important role.
