heating oil in blue plastic drums?

[Jim K]

I have some blue plastic "oil" drums that used to contain some sort of cleaning product.

Will they be ok with heating oil (kerosene) in them shortterm?

TIA

Jim K

[Dave Liquorice]

Some one else watching the price of crude take a leap upwards in the last couple of days... I can't decided if there is room for 1000 l in the tank or not. The big question is this just going to be a short term spike and everthing will return to "normal" in a month or two or are we about to enter WWIII?

[Dave Liquorice]

Is there a recycling mark or anything else on them that tells you what they are made of? Some plastics are fine others will disolve or soften (sometimes very slowly), Not sure I like the idea of disolved plastic going through a pressure jet burner...

[newshound]

Assuming they are the standard 200 litre drums I would be very surprised if they were not polyethylene, in which case they will be fine for kerosene.

[newshound]

That's from the chemistry viewpoint of course, taking no account of various regulations on storage of fuel.

[spuorgelgoog]

I wouldn't try heating the oil in a plastic vessel, I'd keep it at ambient temp.

Owain

[Jim K]

Thanks.

What about kerosene in an ibc? (plastic tank in a cage on a pallet - 1000 litre usually)...,

Tia

Jim K

[The Other Mike]

WWIII - on the upside with all the dust in the air the solar FIT payments will drop to zero.

[fred]

litre usually)...,

We have a couple of blue plastic barrels we use to store and transport agri cultural diesel. Originally they were used to import concentrated orange ju ice. Have been using them now for about 20 years and no problems. Even duri ng the heavy frost a few years back when the oil half froze it was still us able when the warmer weather came. We have to clean them out occasionally. Crud builds up in them but where it comes from I've never been able to esta blish. (No its not diesel bug).

I find it impossible to handle diesel without some spilling and a small amo unt goes a long way. Uggghhh

[newshound]

Polythene again, it will be OK *chemically* but I bet it falls foul of storage regulations wherever you plan to keep it.