Best material for fuel tank

[Refueler]

Recently looked at a replacement diesel tank after contamination in present s/s tank.
Tek Tanks stress the need for a fire wall between their tanks and the engine compartment for all their plastic ranges .
This certainly could not be achieved on our boat and probably not on your typical older sailing yacht without extreme upheaval and probably only sensibly achievable if the original design covers the requirement .

It would only need fire-resistant foam sheet .....

 

[bluerm166]

As with buildings the penetrations would be the problem,and the abutments,and engine access.
A chinese wall would not suffice.

 

[jwilson]

It would only need fire-resistant foam sheet .....

There is no firewall beween the engine and fuel tank on almost every new production sailing yacht. Nor do I know of lots of "fuel tank caught fire" cases, even though most boats do not have auto extinguishers in the engine compartment.

 

[Refueler]

There is no firewall beween the engine and fuel tank on almost every new production sailing yacht. Nor do I know of lots of "fuel tank caught fire" cases, even though most boats do not have auto extinguishers in the engine compartment.

I agree with you .... I was just replying to the 'Tek Tanks' mention.

Especially with most boats using Diesel Fuel as well.

 

[bluerm166]

Do they all have steel tanks ? I don't know.
I assume that Tek Tanks have a reason for making this statement writ large for Custom type and A type.Perhaps there has or have been incidents sufficient for them to make this caveat.
In one case they refer to CE marking as a reason.
In the case of D type tanks they refer to their use with low volatility fuel and do not make the caveat.
Perhaps surveyors have raised an issue post fitting and upset customers.
Fire rating of diesel tanks by using fire resistant polyethylene ( 2 1/2 or is that 22 mins resistance ?) is required under the Boat safety scheme.Maybe in some types their fabrication method does not suit the use of resistant polyethylene - which includes antimony .I seem to recall that Timinox ,a fire retardant paint contained antimony.Perhaps thats an answer.
If I was still condsidering a new tank I would ask them.