What's the difference between a gasoline tank and a plastic car?
Volume problem, the plastic tank must have internal / external stiffeners, so it will occupy part of the volume of fuel. The metal tank does not occupy the volume of the fuel. So, with the same external volume of the tank, the metal tank can hold more fuel.
Cost issues, at present, the cost of metal tanks and ordinary plastic fuel tank quite, but with the environmental requirements continue to improve. In order to reduce the penetration out from the wall of the oil tank of gasoline, many manufacturers began to use the multilayer plastic fuel tank, fuel cost is higher than that of the metal tank, the benefits of the penetration of fuel is very few, but the problem is to increase the manufacturing cost, improves the overall weight of the tank, reducing the car's performance.
Complex geometry problem. Many years ago, because the technology is not developed, the metal tank can not design a complicated three-dimensional structure, and in recent years, with the development of the processing technology, metal tank can completely satisfy the complex three-dimensional design, especially the welding and TIG welding plasma enhanced, so that the metal tank shape is not restricted. And flanges can be narrower, up to 3mm-4mm.
Weight problem. The iron tank wall is generally about 0.8-1mm thick in thickness and has more than 1mm strengthening design. The plastic fuel tank is between 5mm-10mm. Both the weight of the iron tank is lighter than that of the plastic tank. And plastic fuel tanks are usually installed outside the insulation, and its own insulation cover is metal, but instead of increasing the weight. At the same time, the fuel will permeate into the plastic and increase the weight by 4% to 8%.
Environmental protection issues, first of all, the production of plastics used in chemical materials and processes, environmental pollution is much higher than the metal. Followed by recycling problems. Plastic fuel tank material recycling, high cost, serious pollution. The metal material for recycling is not a problem, low prices, less emissions. For our green earth, the use of a metal tank is much higher than a plastic tank.
