Though tank blanketing is used for a variety of reasons, it typically involves using a buffer gas to protect products inside the storage container.
In 1970, Appalachian Controls Environmental (ACE) was the world’s first company to introduce a tank blanketing valve.
When the pressure inside the container drops below a set point, a valve opens and allows the blanketing gas to enter.
Higher pressures than this are generally not used as they often yield only marginal increases in results while wasting large amounts of expensive blanketing gas.
This is desirable because products, such as citric acid, are added to food oils the tank will begin to settle over time with the heavier contents sinking to the bottom.
Low levels of oxygen surrounding the product help to reduce the amount of oxidation that may occur, and increases shelf life.
Some examples include its use on purified water to keep unwanted minerals out and its use on food products to keep contaminants out.
As with any use of inert gases, care must be taken to ensure that workers are not exposed to large quantities of nitrogen or other non-breathable substances, which can quickly result in asphyxiation and death.
[1] Use of them in commercial applications is subject to the regulation of OSHA in the USA and similar regulatory bodies elsewhere.
Author unavailable (2000), Fisher Controls becomes an “ACE” in tank blanketing [Electronic version].