CST's Glass-Fused-to-Steel Storage Tanks
The World’s Most Durable, Lowest Maintenance Tanks
All of our glass-fused-to-steel Harvestore® and Aquastore® tank interiors feature Vitrium® coating glass finish, enhanced with titanium dioxide, for the toughest glass available. CST® also uses EdgeCoat II® for maximum corrosion resistance and the longest life span of any glass-lined tank available.
CST’s glass-fused-to-steel is the premium technology in the storage tank market. It is a single-source, integrated porcelain enamel-and-steel material fused together at over 1,500° F. The coating forms a hard, inert barrier for both the interior and exterior tank surfaces to guard against weather and corrosion. It NEVER needs painting!
Our GFS Tanks
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Proprietary Vitrium® Coating Process
CST’s proprietary Vitrium coating process has been field-proven for seven decades. CST’s Vitrium glass is impermeable to liquids and vapors, controls undercutting caused by corrosion and offers excellent impact and abrasion resistance. The color won’t fade or chalk, and most graffiti can easily be removed.
This coating combines the outstanding chemical and physical resistant properties of TiO2-saturated glass with a highly engineered ultra-fine glass structure surface to create a high-performance GFS technology.
Benefits of Vitrium:
- TiO2 glass formulation provides longer tank life
- White interior is easier to inspect than darker coatings
- Factory certified “holiday free” sheets
- Electrostatic base coat application ensures consistent quality
- Maximum effectiveness without requiring increased thickness
- Process efficiencies lead to competitive pricing
- Ideal for both cold and hot climates
- Designed, fabricated, shipped and supported within the USA
EdgeCoat II Advancement
In addition to Vitrium coating, CST offers EdgeCoat II. EdgeCoat technology is the ONLY process in the world that provides optimum glass encapsulation of the entire steel panel.
Following Porcelain Enameling Institute guidelines (PEI-101), every sheet edge is mechanically rounded, allowing the Vitrium glass to adhere with the same thickness as the front and back of the panel.
Other glass-lined tanks just spray the end. The sharp corner is impossible for glass to reliably adhere to and is the point of weakness for other manufacturers. CST’s GFS tanks are just as durable and resilient on the edges as they are on front and back.
- Highest quality finish
- 5 mils of glass encapsulation on all six sides of the sheet, offering the greatest protection and corrosion resistance
- No sharp edges on tank sheets, eliminating safety hazards
More About Our Materials and Processes
Vitrium coating, our proprietary TiO2 glass finish, is applied in a 3-coat, 1-fire (3c1f) process. Vitrium coating is also produced in a 3-coat, 2-fire (3c2f) process, primarily when special colors are requested or thicker layers of glass are required.
Titanium dioxide is a key ingredient:
- TiO2 is considered inert, and at high levels in porcelain enamel gives unique properties.
- With its higher percentage of TiO2 in the final white layer, our Vitrium coating on interior tank surfaces has an exceptional enamel surface.
- During firing, the white layer’s higher viscosity has the effect of controlling bubble structure, in addition to making the top TiO2 rich layer harder, more chemical resistant and the bubble structure finer.
- This high TiO2 content makes the coating ideal for colder conditions common to the North American market.
When using higher amounts of TiO2 in the final white layer, a unique visual marker on the glass known as “Vitrium threading” becomes apparent. This is caused by thicker areas of the top white layer interspersed with thinner areas, allowing the underlying bluecoat to show through opaquely. This immediately identifies a coating as Vitrium.
Manufacturing Excellence
CST’s DeKalb facility is ISO 9001:2015 quality system certified. Engineers design tanks for a wide range of standards including AWWA D103 Standard for Bolted Steel Water Storage Tanks, AISC, FM codes and NFPA Standard 22.
Additionally, glass coatings meet ANSI/NSF Standard 61 requirements for indirect additives, making AQUASTORE and HARVESTORE tanks ideal for liquid, feed, manure storage and digester processes. Most importantly, extreme pride is taken in craftsmanship for a tank that endures the test of time.
From the automated manufacturing processes through the stage-by-stage inspection and even down to careful inspection of the glass, our GFS quality is the best in the industry. The best proof of the precision of CST’s manufacturing procedures can be seen in the thousands of Aquastore and Harvestore installations around the world, still standing and in operation after 60-70 years in the field.
Color Options
Aquastore and Harvestore glass coatings are available in standard cobalt blue and four other premium exterior colors. Forest green, sky blue, desert tan and white premium colors are available at an additional cost. Inquire for custom colors.
