55 Gallon Plastic Drum

55-gallon plastic drums are long cylinders typically equalling 55 US gallons or 208 liters in volume.

Uses of 55-gallon plastic drums

55-gallon plastic barrels are used for a wide variety of purposes. They can be used in industrial and residential settings primarily for storage and shipment of light and dense liquids, chemicals, granulated items like hydrated compounds, food ingredients, electronic items, cosmetics, and other content types. Their uses cut across numerous industries, inclusive of the petroleum, pharmaceutical, and recycling industries. While these drums are multipurpose, it is safer to consider their construction material type in every instance of usage to make the most out of them.

Physical properties of 55-gallon plastic drums

55-gallon storage drums are great as they are made of polystyrene, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, or high-density polyethylene, which when hardened, make them highly unyielding to external impacts during carriage or stacking. With these body features, heavy-duty materials can be held in them and kept secure from wetting and heat. However, to keep safe practice, there should be a keen eye on the heat exposure of these gallon plastic barrels to avoid chemicals from them permeating into the liquids or solids they hold. Ensure to double-check with the vendor to verify if the quality of the paper meets the USDA and FDA safety standards for food preservation.

Types of 55-gallon plastic drums

These 208-liter hard plastic barrels can come as open-head poly drums or closed-head plastic drums. 55-gallon open-head plastic drums are containers that come with more flexibility as they can contain items summing above the lid level. They also come with removable covers that come with rubber or low-density polyethylene gaskets to lock their lid when it needs to be closed. The most weatherproof options may have covers with vinyl or high-density polyethylene coatings. Closed-head 55-gallon poly barrels do not allow free access like the open-head variants. They come with covers that are usually locked on the top that may have a small opening to allow ventilation when necessary. 55-gallon plastic drums with locking lids are more suitable for toxic or pungent contents that can contaminate the environment or cause aerial poisoning.