Industries · chemical
Chemical processing: where prior content is a safety system, not a detail
Problems with second-hand totes in chemical service usually trace back to one of two things: an unknown prior content, or the wrong elastomer. Both are preventable with simple discipline before the tote is filled.
Request totes for your chemistry
Tell us the product, concentration, temperature and whether it is regulated in transport, so a partner supplier can quote the right units.
HDPE compatibility quick reference
| Chemical | HDPE | Gasket | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium hydroxide 50% | Excellent | EPDM | Watch gross weight at SG 1.53 |
| Sulphuric acid 93% | Good | Viton | Reduce fill; heavy at SG 1.83 |
| Hydrochloric acid 31% | Good | Viton | Vent lid; fumes attack steel cage |
| Nitric acid 67% | Fair | Viton | Oxidiser — assess before long-term storage |
| Sodium hypochlorite 12.5% | Good | Viton | Degasses; vented lid essential |
| Hydrogen peroxide 35% | Fair | PTFE | Usually needs a dedicated container |
| Acetone | Fair | PTFE | Permeates over time; short-term only |
| Toluene / xylene | Poor | Viton | Not recommended in HDPE |
| Methanol / ethanol | Good | Viton | Bonding and flammability controls apply |
| Ethylene glycol | Excellent | EPDM | Classic tote application |
| Mineral oil / lubricants | Excellent | Buna-N | Wash history matters for later use |
| Surfactants and detergents | Excellent | EPDM | Very common tote content |
| Ferric chloride 40% | Excellent | EPDM/Viton | Stains bottle permanently |
| Phosphoric acid 75% | Excellent | EPDM | Common water-treatment chemistry |
| Ammonium hydroxide 29% | Good | EPDM | Vent; strong odour permeates |
A quick reference is not a compatibility assessment. Confirm against your own SDS and the resin and gasket manufacturers’ data for concentration, temperature and duration, and confirm documentation with the supplier.
What to ask a supplier before you buy
- Written prior content for every used unit, on file before it is filled.
- Gasket material confirmed against your SDS, not just the default fitted.
- Vented lid on anything that degasses — hypochlorite, ammonia, peroxide.
- Gross weight calculated from specific gravity and checked against the tote marking and your racking.
- Secondary containment where your local or state rules require it.
- UN marking and test dates checked before any regulated shipment.
- A documented route for heels — the residue plan is part of the purchase, not an afterthought.
- Labelling updated the moment content changes, including a reduced fill level for dense products.
Two failure modes worth the paragraph
The permeation surprise
HDPE is semi-permeable. Store a solvent in it for months and the polymer wall absorbs some of it — which is invisible, does not leak, and can contaminate whatever goes in next. This is why a bottle that held toluene is not a credible candidate for food use, and why prior content should be treated as permanent information rather than something a wash erases.
The gasket weep
An EPDM gasket in solvent service does not fail dramatically. It swells, then weeps slowly down the outside of the valve. Over weeks that ruins a pallet, stains a floor and may become a reportable release. Choosing the right gasket up front is one of the cheapest controls in bulk liquid handling, and it is skipped constantly.
Questions people actually ask
Can I store acid in a used IBC tote?
Many acids, yes — HDPE generally handles sulphuric, hydrochloric and phosphoric acid well at typical concentrations, with a suitable gasket and attention to gross weight. Oxidising acids and strong peroxides need case-by-case assessment and often a dedicated container. Confirm against your SDS.
Do I need UN-marked totes for chemicals?
Generally only if the material is a regulated dangerous good in transport; storage and internal transfer are treated differently. Check your classification and current regulations before paying for a marking you will not use.
How do I dispose of chemical heels?
Through a licensed treatment route. A partner supplier in our network can arrange collection of the container — see recycling and disposal.
Extended compatibility matrix — bottle, gasket and cage
Three materials have to survive your product, not one. The cage is the one people forget.
| Chemical | HDPE bottle | Gasket | Steel cage exposure | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium hydroxide 50% | Excellent | EPDM | Attacks galvanising if spilled | Good |
| Sodium hydroxide 25% | Excellent | EPDM | Same | Good |
| Sulphuric acid 93% | Good | Viton | Severe if spilled | Good with containment |
| Sulphuric acid 30% | Good | Viton | Severe | Good with containment |
| Hydrochloric acid 31% | Good | Viton | Fumes attack cage | Vent and inspect the cage |
| Nitric acid 42% | Fair | Viton | Severe | Assess; dedicated units |
| Phosphoric acid 75% | Excellent | EPDM | Moderate | Good |
| Hydrofluoric acid | Poor | PTFE | Severe | Not in a standard IBC |
| Sodium hypochlorite 12.5% | Good | Viton | Fumes corrode cage | Vented, shaded, inspect cage |
| Hydrogen peroxide 35% | Fair | PTFE | Moderate | Dedicated units |
| Acetone | Fair | PTFE | None | Short-term only |
| Methyl ethyl ketone | Poor | PTFE | None | Not recommended |
| Toluene | Poor | Viton | None | Not recommended |
| Xylene | Poor | Viton | None | Not recommended |
| Diesel and fuel oil | Good | Buna-N/Viton | None | Good; bonding for flammables |
| Methanol | Good | Viton | None | Good; flammability controls |
| Ethylene glycol | Excellent | EPDM | None | Excellent |
| Propylene glycol | Excellent | EPDM | None | Excellent |
| Mineral oil | Excellent | Buna-N | None | Excellent |
| Surfactants, nonionic | Excellent | EPDM | None | Excellent |
| Ferric chloride 40% | Excellent | Viton | Severe if spilled | Good with containment |
| Aluminium sulphate | Excellent | EPDM | Moderate | Good |
| Ammonium hydroxide 29% | Good | EPDM | Attacks copper nearby | Vent; strong odour |
| Peracetic acid 15% | Fair | PTFE/Viton | Moderate | Vented, dedicated |
| Amine blends | Good | Viton | None | Absorbs CO₂; keep sealed |
General guidance only. Confirm against your SDS and manufacturers’ data. The "steel cage exposure" column exists because a spill that never touches the bottle can still destroy the unit — a weeping valve carrying a corrosive can eat through galvanising, and the tote fails from the outside in.
Commissioning a tote for a new chemistry
A sequence that prevents the most common and most costly failures.
- 01
Read the SDS transport and stability sections first
Classification decides whether you need a current UN marking. Stability decides whether the product degasses, crystallises or reacts with residues.
- 02
Calculate gross weight before anything else
Gallons × 8.345 × SG + tare. Compare against the tote marking, your rack rating and your jack. Dense products change all three answers.
- 03
Choose the gasket from the SDS
EPDM for water chemistry and caustics, Viton for solvents and strong acids, Buna-N for oils. Ask the supplier which gasket is fitted.
- 04
Decide on venting
Hypochlorite, peroxide, bisulphite and ammonia all degas. A sealed tote of degassing product bulges, and eventually weeps at the lid.
- 05
Confirm the prior content of the unit
Not only for cleanliness — for reaction risk. Acid residue plus hypochlorite releases chlorine gas, however clean both totes looked.
- 06
Set up containment before the first delivery
Size it to the largest credible release and to the rules that apply to your site. Check current regulations.
- 07
Mark the reduced fill level if the product is dense
A permanent mark on the bottle, a note on the label, and a line in the filling procedure.
- 08
Plan the heel route on day one
Where residues go at end of life is part of the purchase decision, not an afterthought when the tote is in the way.
Chemical handling questions
Can we dedicate totes to a single product?
Yes, and for anything reactive or aggressive it is a sensible approach. Tag them, keep them in a defined pool, and wash them on a schedule rather than between products.
How do we handle a tote that has been mislabelled?
Treat the contents as unknown until characterised. Do not wash it, do not decant it and do not send it anywhere without telling the receiver. An unknown residue is a waste characterisation job.
Are static and bonding a concern?
For flammable liquids, yes — poly totes are insulators and can accumulate charge during filling and discharge. Grounding and bonding procedures apply, and this is one area where the container material genuinely changes your procedure.
What temperature limits apply?
HDPE totes are generally limited to around 140 °F and should not be stacked near that limit. Cold is usually less of an issue for the polymer than for the product — many chemistries crystallise well above freezing.
Thinking about secondary containment volume
A rule of thumb is a starting point. The arrangement changes the answer.
| Arrangement | Largest credible release | Typical solution |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tote on a pallet | One tote | Moulded spill pallet |
| 2 totes side by side | One tote | Two-tote spill pallet |
| 4 totes in a row on the floor | One tote | Bunded area or individual spill pallets |
| Totes stacked or on racking | Several totes (rack or handling failure) | Bunded area sized to the rack |
| Tote plus a dosing pump and day tank | Tote plus tank | Bund with displacement allowance |
| Outdoor array, rain exposed | Largest release plus rainfall | Bund with controlled drain |
Sizing to 110% of the largest container is a common benchmark, but on racking the largest credible release may be more than one container. Check the rules that apply to your site.
More chemical questions
Can we use the same tote for two different products?
Only with a controlled changeover: drain, neutralise if needed, wash appropriately, fit a gasket suited to the new chemistry, and record it. Some combinations should never share a container at all — acids and hypochlorite being the obvious one.
How do we handle static during filling?
Poly totes are insulators and can accumulate charge with flammable liquids. Bonding and grounding procedures apply, and this is one place where the container material genuinely changes your procedure.
What about hot filling?
HDPE totes are generally limited to around 140 °F. Below that, fill without stacking and allow the unit to equalise before sealing. Above it, use stainless.
Is there an SDS for the container?
A container does not have an SDS — the product in it does. For a used tote, ask the supplier for the prior-content record and any test record.
Where people go from here
Reuse first, then recycle.