Tank Bottoms · Method

Tank Bottom Sludge Removal: The Chemical Method, Step by Step.

Tank bottoms are removed three ways: by hand, by solvent, or by a water-based chemistry that suspends the sludge and lets pumps do the work. This page covers the third. Hasten Cleanse circulates hot through the bottoms, breaks the bond with the floor, suppresses the vapor over the sludge, and produces about half the wastewater of a solvent job, all of it non-hazardous.

Less time in the tank. Vapor readings fall during circulation, and there is less material for a crew to move by hand.

Less water to dispose of. Customers report about half the wastewater of a solvent clean, sent to treatment as non-hazardous.

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The Procedure

Gauge sludge depth and confirm the tank can be circulated; if not, plan for spray and soak.

Dilute Hasten Cleanse at 1:10 in water heated to 140 to 160 degrees.

Circulate through the sludge layer. Agitation is what turns the bond-breaking into movement.

Monitor LEL. Readings fall as the product bonds to the hydrocarbon.

Pump or vac the suspension. Recover oil at the separator if you run one.

Rinse at 1:50 and send the wash water to treatment as non-hazardous.

What Hasten Cleanse does not do

It is not a solvent and not a caustic. It will not dissolve, melt, or strip material that is physically bonded or baked onto a surface: scale, rust, hardened deposits, coatings. It lifts hydrocarbons, oil, grease, crude, sludge, and paraffin, by emulsifying them, and it needs agitation, circulation, pressure, or heat to do that work. If your problem is a stuck-on solid rather than a hydrocarbon film or residue, tell us and we will say so.

Compared With the Other Two Methods

	Manual removal	Solvent circulation	Hasten Cleanse circulation
Flash point added to the tank	None	Yes, 100 to 140 degrees typical	None, water-based
Vapor during the work	Rises as sludge is disturbed	Rises, solvent vapor added	Falls, suppressed by the product
Wastewater	Low, but heavy manual labor	High, hazardous	About half of solvent, non-hazardous
Time in confined space	Highest	Moderate	Lowest, customer reported
Equipment	Shovels, vac	Circulation, vac	Circulation, vac, heater helps

We will not print a time or an LEL number we did not measure on your tank. Ask for the demo and bring your meter.

Concentrate and Packaging

No added bacteriaNothing in the pail is alive. Hasten Cleanse feeds the microbes you already have, in a treatment plant, a separator, or the soil, instead of competing with them.

Full concentrateSold as concentrate and diluted on site, 1:10 for heavy residue to 1:50 for light. Compare products by working gallons per drum, not by the drum.

No flash point, no placardsWater-based and non-flammable. Ships as standard freight in 5-gallon pails, 55-gallon drums, 275-gallon totes, and bulk. Gulf Coast delivery in one to two days.

Tank Bottom Cleaning Supply, Gulf Coast and Permian

Standard freight from Houston. Same-day pickup available.

HoustonPasadenaDeer ParkLa PorteBaytownChannelviewTexas CityBeaumontPort ArthurCorpus ChristiFreeportLake CharlesMidlandOdessa

Tank Bottom Sludge Questions, Answered Straight

How much sludge can it handle?

It works on hydrocarbon sludge at any depth that can be circulated or soaked. Very deep, dried bottoms may need mechanical breakup first, since it is not a caustic.

Do I need a heater?

No, but 140 to 160 degree water makes a large difference on crude bottoms.

Can I recover the oil?

The suspension separates at a separator or by settling. Recovery depends on your setup.

Does it work on sour bottoms?

Yes, including iron sulfide deposits. Standard pyrophoric precautions still apply.

What happens to the wash water?

Non-hazardous, and the fatty-acid base feeds a biological treatment system. Confirm with your permit.