Regular Maintenance Required: How to Maintain Your Water Based Resin To kick off Part II of our ELANTAS Series, we're exploring the best way to maintain water based resin tanks, specifically ELANTAS’ ELAN-Guard® EM 59-60MR. ELANTAS is a leading manufacturer of liquid insulation used for the electrical and electronics industries. Essex Brownell is proud to be one of their preferred distributors.

To avoid the costly ramifications of neglecting your tank, regular tank maintenance is required. The type of regular maintenance required depends on the type of tank and material you have. There are four basic categories: Water Based Resins, Epoxy Resins, Epoxy Resin Vacuum Pressure Impregnating, and Unsaturated Polyester Monomer Resins. We are specifically looking at maintenance for Water Based Resin Systems.

Stabilization is a key element of tank maintenance. When it comes to emulsions, they contain nonvolatile material that are commonly referred to as solids. Solids are the film portion that is applied to the material or actual product. The remaining material is called “volatile.” The volatile portion can contain water, solvent, or pH adjusters for some products. To keep your material stable it will require periodic adjustments of water and regular replenishment of fresh resin. For the ELAN-Guard® EM 59-60MR epoxy emulsion, it is recommended to use deionized, distilled, or osmotic filtered water.

One of the benefits of having an Epoxy Emulsion tank is it’s considered one of the lower maintenance tanks on the market. Epoxy Emulsion resin systems are designed and modified in a way that does not require pH adjusters. Whereas some of the water-soluble resins systems do require these adjusters. The only reducer that can be used for ELANTAS’ ELAN-Guard® EM 59-60MR is water. When preparing to make reductions ELANTAS recommends following the Personal Protective Equipment guidelines. In addition, agitation prior to adjusting your tank is required. For water-based resin systems, addition of water should be done under agitation to ensure material is homogenous. If you need additional assistance with making the correct adjustments, ELANTAS offers standard guidelines or has a technical staff happy to offer further assistance. In addition, Essex Brownell is happy to help guide you, too. Proper storage is another key factor that goes into maintaining your tank. If ELANTAS’ ELAN-Guard® EM 59-60MR isn’t stored correctly it can cause the material to deteriorate and lead to poor product performance. Always make sure to cover your water-based tanks when they are not in use to avoid evaporation. Whether the resin is in your tank or in storage for future use, you should store this material in a dry controlled environment out of direct sunlight. With an epoxy-based resin system you have a wider storage temperature range than a Water Soluble Resin System. Make sure to monitor your environment to maintain the ideal temperature range is 40°F to 104°F. If you are bringing your material out of storage, make sure to mix well before use.

Regular maintenance is important for the longevity of your tank. In addition to regular maintenance, ELANTAS offers a free tank maintenance program. These combined efforts have been known to extend the life of a tank to 20 years. Stay tuned for our third and final Blog in the ELANTAS Series to learn about the free Tank Maintenance Program.

Take the Next Step

Don’t let your investment and tank go bad. To learn more about tank maintenance, contact an Essex Brownell Expert HERE.

To shop Essex Brownell's selection of ELANTAS Resins and Varnishes, including ELANTAS’ ELAN-Guard® EM 59-60MR, click HERE.