PFAS have become one of the most talked-about chemical topics in recent years, and for good reason. These substances, often called “forever chemicals,” have gained attention because many of them break down very slowly in the environment and can persist in water, soil, animals, and people over time. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large family of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products for decades because of their resistance to heat, water, oil, and chemical attack.
That chemical toughness is exactly what made PFAS useful in the first place. It is also what makes certain PFAS so difficult to manage once they are released.
PFAS can be found in or associated with many different products and industries, including firefighting foams, coatings, water-resistant materials, nonstick surfaces, chemical processing, metal plating, and other industrial applications. Some of the most studied PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS, have been the focus of major environmental and regulatory attention. In 2024, EPA designated PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, creating reporting requirements for certain releases.
The details of PFAS regulation continue to evolve, but the larger lesson is already clear: when chemicals are persistent, difficult to treat, corrosive, hazardous, or highly regulated, containment matters.
PFAS Is Part of a Bigger Industrial Conversation
PFAS tends to dominate headlines because of its persistence and environmental concerns, but it is not the only chemical issue industrial facilities face. Plants, manufacturers, water treatment facilities, chemical processors, and storage operations deal with many substances that require careful handling.
Some chemicals are highly corrosive. Some are toxic. Some are difficult to neutralize or remove from wastewater. Some create long-term liability if they leak into soil or groundwater. Others may not be headline-making substances, but they can still damage equipment, shorten service life, create safety concerns, and lead to expensive downtime.
That is where material selection becomes more than an engineering detail. It becomes part of risk management.
A tank, pipe, duct, scrubber, liner, or containment basin is not just a container. It is the barrier between a chemical process and the surrounding environment. When that barrier is not properly designed for the chemicals involved, the results can include leaks, corrosion, contamination, product loss, shutdowns, repairs, and regulatory headaches.
Chemical Resistance Starts With the Right Material
Different materials behave very differently in chemical service.
Carbon steel may be strong, but it can corrode quickly in certain acids, chlorides, or harsh chemical environments. Stainless steel can perform well in many applications, but it is not automatically resistant to every chemical. Concrete can provide structure, but it often needs coatings or liners when exposed to aggressive chemicals. Plastics and composites can offer excellent corrosion resistance, but they must still be selected carefully based on temperature, concentration, pressure, UV exposure, abrasion, and mechanical loads.
This is why fiberglass reinforced plastic, thermoplastics, and dual laminate systems are so important in chemical containment.
FRP Tanks and Corrosion-Resistant Equipment
Fiberglass reinforced plastic, often called FRP, is widely used in corrosive environments because it combines structural strength with chemical resistance. In many cases, an FRP tank or vessel can be designed with a corrosion barrier on the inside and structural fiberglass reinforcement on the outside.
That matters because many industrial chemicals do not simply “sit” in a tank. They attack the surface they touch. Over time, corrosion can thin metal, weaken welds, compromise coatings, or create leak paths. FRP offers a way to build equipment specifically around the chemical environment it will face.
FRP can be used for tanks, piping, ductwork, scrubbers, covers, trenches, secondary containment, and custom-fabricated equipment. It is especially useful when a project requires corrosion resistance, custom sizing, and practical field repair options.
Dual Laminate Vessels and Thermoplastic Liners
For harsher chemical environments, a dual laminate system may be the better choice. Dual laminate construction typically uses a thermoplastic liner on the chemical-contact side and FRP reinforcement on the outside. The liner provides chemical resistance, while the fiberglass gives the structure strength and rigidity.
This type of construction is useful because no single material is perfect for every requirement. A thermoplastic liner may offer excellent chemical resistance, but it may not have the stiffness or structural strength needed by itself for a large vessel or pipe system. FRP can provide that structure while allowing the liner to do what it does best: resist the chemical.
Common liner materials may include options such as PVC, CPVC, polypropylene, polyethylene, PVDF, ECTFE, or other thermoplastics depending on the chemical service. The right choice depends on the specific chemical, concentration, temperature, pressure, and operating conditions.
It is also worth noting that some high-performance fluoropolymer materials used for corrosion resistance may fall under broad PFAS-related discussions. That does not mean every application is the same or that every material carries the same risk profile. It does mean that material selection should be thoughtful, documented, and based on the project’s chemical, regulatory, and performance requirements.
Secondary Containment Is the Backup Plan You Hope You Never Need
Primary containment gets most of the attention: the tank, pipe, vessel, or liner directly holding the chemical. But secondary containment is just as important.
Secondary containment is the backup system designed to capture leaks, spills, or overflows before they reach the environment. This may include containment basins, curbs, sumps, trench systems, coated concrete areas, fiberglass containment structures, or lined containment pits.
For persistent or highly regulated chemicals, secondary containment becomes even more important. A small leak that might seem manageable in the moment can become a much larger problem if it reaches soil, stormwater, groundwater, or a plant drainage system.
Good containment design asks practical questions:
What happens if a tank leaks?
Where does the chemical go if a hose fails?
Can the containment area resist the chemical long enough for cleanup?
Are pumps, pipe penetrations, supports, and seams protected?
Can the system be inspected and maintained?
The goal is not just to meet a requirement on paper. The goal is to build a system that works when something goes wrong.
Piping Matters Too
Chemical containment does not stop at the tank wall. Piping systems are often where failures occur because they include joints, fittings, valves, supports, flanges, pumps, and changes in direction. A tank may be made from a compatible material, but if the transfer piping is not equally suited for the service, the system still has a weak point.
Corrosion-resistant piping can be made from FRP, lined steel, thermoplastics, or dual laminate materials depending on the application. In chemical service, pipe design should consider more than just the chemical name. Temperature, flow rate, pressure, solids content, outdoor exposure, expansion and contraction, impact risk, and maintenance access all matter.
A good chemical containment system is not a collection of parts chosen one at a time. It is a complete system designed around the chemical process.
Why Material Selection Is a Long-Term Decision
The cheapest material on day one is not always the cheapest material over the life of the equipment. A poorly matched tank or pipe system can lead to repairs, downtime, emergency replacement, environmental cleanup, or lost production. In regulated chemical service, failures can also create reporting obligations and documentation burdens.
Better material selection can help reduce those risks.
That does not always mean choosing the most expensive material. It means choosing the material that fits the service. Sometimes FRP is the practical answer. Sometimes a thermoplastic liner is needed. Sometimes a dual laminate vessel makes sense. Sometimes secondary containment is the most important part of the project. Often, the best solution is a combination of these approaches.
PFAS Reminds Us That Chemicals Do Not Disappear Just Because They Leave the Pipe
One of the reasons PFAS has become such a major topic is that many PFAS compounds are difficult to break down and can remain in the environment for long periods. EPA notes that many PFAS break down very slowly and can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time.
For industrial facilities, that reinforces a broader principle: chemical management starts before treatment and cleanup. It starts with prevention, containment, and control.
Once a persistent chemical escapes into the environment, solving the problem becomes much harder. It may require sampling, remediation, disposal planning, regulatory reporting, or specialized treatment. Proper tanks, liners, piping, and containment systems cannot solve every environmental challenge, but they can help prevent small equipment problems from becoming large environmental ones.
Building for the Chemicals You Actually Have
At Custom Fiberglass Products Inc., we understand that chemical containment is not a one-size-fits-all job. Different facilities handle different chemicals, temperatures, process conditions, and space limitations. That is why custom fabrication, corrosion-resistant materials, and practical field experience matter.
FRP tanks, dual laminate equipment, thermoplastic-lined systems, secondary containment, and corrosion-resistant piping all play a role in helping industrial customers handle difficult chemical environments. Whether the concern is corrosion, long-term service life, chemical compatibility, or containment planning, the materials used in a system should match the reality of the job.
PFAS may be the chemical topic getting attention today, but the lesson applies across the industrial world.
When chemicals are difficult, persistent, corrosive, or highly regulated, the container matters. The pipe matters. The liner matters. The backup containment matters.
In other words, materials matter.
This post was created using Generative AI; information may be inaccurate.