ASTM D 1998 Polyethylene Tank Standards

There are stringent standards available for poly storage tanks made from Polyethylene. Not every manufacturer makes tanks that adhere to these standards, but we do. The standards are from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the world’s largest source of standards.

ASTM D 1998 is a set of standards that apply to Vertical Tanks over 500 gallons made from Polyethylene. The standards are for tanks produced from cross-linkable polyethylene (XLPE) and non cross-linkable polyethylene (HDPE). They apply to closed top vertical tanks and to open top vertical tanks. Two plastic tanks sitting side by side may look the same but if one is not up to the ASTM standards, that tank may be more likely to fail.

The ASTM D 1998 standard defines minimum wall thicknesses for polyethylene tanks based on the height of the tank, outside diameter of the tank and the specific gravity rating. The standard builds in a significant safety factor by using very conservative values for some of the resin properties.

When purchasing poly storage tanks, be sure that you compare apples to apples. Be sure that the tanks you select comply with the stringent standards set by ASTM D 1998.