peterz(at)zutrasoft.com
Guest
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 Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 9:39 am Post subject: Europa fuel tank - Fluorination service in the USA |
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A quick update for anyone interested:
- My tank is enroute back to me (well, not me, but to the UPS store in Odgensburg NY)
- My shipping costs were approx $100. I included a return shipping label in the crate for the return trip. (their quotes are FOB their dock)
- The process reportedly was uneventful (no contamination-caused heat damage)
- I just received their quote, for anyone else interested the cost is $33.46 per tank. What a deal! 
- Their minimum order charge is $300 - ouch....(I'm still sore) (btw, that is reduced from $400 for us Europa builders)
- On their quote, they offer "Certificate of Fluorination" for an additional $90 per shipment fwiw.
So, for any other builders in N.A. who have not yet installed their tank and were interested, if a group got together the shipping costs would likely be greater than the actual processing. The only potential tricky part may be the logistics, to ensure all the tanks got to their dock near the same time.
I have the quote in .pdf for anyone interested.
Cheers,
Pete
A239
Ottawa, Canada
On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 6:55 AM, Peter Zutrauen <peterz(at)zutrasoft.com (peterz(at)zutrasoft.com)> wrote:
[quote]Hi Steve,
Yes, my tank is en-route. As I've been advised from them that if the tank is not free of contaminants (I had to clean mine inside and out with naphtha/methanol - nasty) it could be damaged in the process (over-heat from a reaction with contaminants), I'd recommend that we wait and see how mine goes. Also, I've asked them to produce an accurate costing for my tank (and filler snake) with the prospect of doing a few more (grouped together) for any other builders out there.
One interesting comment by their technical adviser I thought may have some merit: when he was examining pictures of my tank for a cost estimate, he advised me that all cuts/openings to the tank must be done prior to the process, or any exposed freshly cut surface will be an entry point for the absorption of fuel into the MDPE plastic. This is because the fluorination treatment is only a surface treatment. So if one takes his opinion as valid, even if the tanks have been treated to an adequate level by Europa, cutting into them after-wards drastically diminishes the treatment's effectiveness.
I'll keep the list updated on the outcome of my tank's adventure, and group pricing for anybody interested. Of course I won't likely know how effective it has been for another 10 years or so 
Cheers,
Pete
A239
Ottawa, Canada
PS - when I asked the cynical question of "how do I know you even did anything" I received the following (reassuring?) reply:
"Regarding your assurance that your tank has been treated properly, we do not ship any items to any one of our customers without our QC measures in place. Through use of a Thermo Electron Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR) the ratio of available hydrogen sites that have been replaced with fluorine in comparison to the available hydrogen sites that have not been replaced with fluorine can be measured. Every item treated by us must pass our QC before it is released for return shipment. "
On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 10:58 PM, Steve Hagar <hagargs(at)earthlink.net (hagargs(at)earthlink.net)> wrote:
| Quote: | Peter:
Have you sent your tank in yet? I being one who having to "hack my tank out" have a tank that I bought a couple of years ago from Bob Berube. I don't know how long he had it so its processing is questionable. I had been planning on fabricating a metal tank for installation when I got around to it so the new plastic tank has been sitting around to be used as a model. However I may change my mind and put the stock item in it would be good to have the proper processing on it. If the lot charge could be spread over 2 or more tanks it would be beneficial. Please get with me if this is something to be considered.
Thank you ,
Steve Hagar
A143
Mesa AZ
hagargs(at)earthlink.net (hagargs(at)earthlink.net)
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