Preventing corrosion in galvanized bin

jrv8984 · Post by **jrv8984** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 7:27 am

So, I am having a used feed bin delivered. It's 9' Dia x 22' tall. It should hold between 15-20 tons of pea coal.
So my question is, what can I coat the inside with to prevent the coal from corroding the metal.
Off the top of my head I was thinking some type of diy bedliner.
Thoughts?

Olllotj · Post by **Olllotj** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 7:48 am

How about black foundation coating

Post by **coaledsweat** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 8:29 am

Coal tar epoxy.

RFK · Post by **RFK** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 6:01 pm

I doubt that the raw coal itself would cause any significant corrosion unless moisture gets into the bin over time. Of course bulk coal is usually delivered pretty wet. Make sure there is drainage thru the bottom and get your coal in the summer. Undercoatings are expensive and won't stop corrosion if the coating is breached. I would just spray it with used motor oil if you have a way to do it.
Rick

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 6:09 pm

Like RFK sez...
Protect from abrasion to preserve the galvanize as it is...good coatings cost much money, and bad coatings end up costing even more...

Wind some PEX tube around the bottom cone so if you should need to do some thawing of wet or moist coal.

jrv8984 · Post by **jrv8984** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 6:13 pm

It's either coating the interior so it will handle the abrasion with unknown product. Or I had the thought of somehow lining the interior with tyvek.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 6:18 pm

Another member here "Sting", did this same thing but his silo or storage tower was used for wood pellets...some info is in archives.
He abandon the idea and not sure if it were moisture issues or something else...
Certainly coal is in most ways more tolerant of moisture than the wood pellets...

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 9:44 pm

RFK wrote: ↑
Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 6:01 pm
I doubt that the raw coal itself would cause any significant corrosion unless moisture gets into the bin over time. Of course bulk coal is usually delivered pretty wet. Make sure there is drainage thru the bottom and get your coal in the summer. Undercoatings are expensive and won't stop corrosion if the coating is breached. I would just spray it with used motor oil if you have a way to do it.
Rick

My first thought, too. Anything else is going to get expensive for that much surface area.

I know of a few folks that do that to their trucks here in winter salted roads country. An old, hand-pump tree sprayer is what a friend used to spray the last oil change on the underside of his vehicles. Never had rust-out problems from salt except where he couldn't spray, like parts of the body.

Paul

jrv8984 · Post by **jrv8984** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 5:14 am

Guess I am mostly concerned with the coal abrading away the galvanizing and then causing it to rust

Post by **coaledsweat** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 8:15 am

I doubt he'll live long enough for the coal to wear the zinc off.

Rufcar · Post by **Rufcar** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 3:40 pm

I had a heavy steel bin I used over 20 years and it rusted away the side walls. I replaced it with a heavy gauge aluminum bin I had made and its now over 20 yrs old and still looks new. Being in the restoration business id wash the galv. surface with white vinegar and id coat it with any of the coating used on pick up truck beds. It will never wear or rust. I use a special coating for car frames and all the body steel but its 350 for 5 gals (the only way it comes) and very hard to find since its industrial only.

Sting · Post by **Sting** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 4:11 pm

McGiever wrote: ↑
Wed. Jan. 23, 2019 6:18 pm
Another member here "Sting", did this same thing but his silo or storage tower was used for wood pellets...some info is in archives.
He abandon the idea and not sure if it were moisture issues or something else...
Certainly coal is in most ways more tolerant of moisture than the wood pellets...

Used it for shelled corn. The pellets were in another bin ajacent to the boiler room

jrv8984 · Post by **jrv8984** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 6:07 pm

Hmm lots of good opinions but not much consensus on coatings, I'm sure rust won't be an issue if I can prevent significant abrasion. The other problem i see is coating the interior, gonna need some good ventilation and a respirator.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 6:41 pm

Sting wrote: ↑
Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 4:11 pm
Used it for shelled corn. The pellets were in another bin ajacent to the boiler room

Oh yeah...

RFK · Post by **RFK** » Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 9:47 pm

Wow how's a typical coal delivery truck going to get its box high enough to effectively off load the coal via gravity?
Rick

Second thought I guess it could be sent up an elevator to the top of the bin.