Document G0VwmEL8LNNDmjoNqn5Bq0wr

FORM OVJCOt E .I.d u Po n t fiSG.u S-fKT-OffESTABLISH ED 1 8 02 d e Ne mo u r s 5. Co mpa n y ' INCORPORATED Wil min g t o n , De l a w a r e DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT February 15, 19^2 Mr. Jacob Cholak Kettering Laboratory of Applied Physiology Eden Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your letter of February 11th regarding the utilization of used gasoline containers of various types for transporting potable water and in reply to your inquiry have to advise that we do not have any coating material that we would recommend for use as indicated in your letter; in fact, it seems questionable that such a procedure would give satisfactory results. "it would appear preferable to resort to some process of cleaning that actually would remove the toxic materials: rather than attempt merely to cover them up. * Under normal circumstances and with suitable clean ing agents available, it might be satisfactory to blow out the containers well with air, then use some suitable sol vent to remove all wet gasoline that may remain, following which the containers could be filled with water containing some detergent such as tri-sodium-phosphate or even some good soap solution and preferably introduce some mechanical scouring action such as agitation with shot or sand or some other abrasive material in the water, following which, if necessary to remove the cleaning water, alcohol could be used. This is merely a curbstone idea and at the same time may be futile to suggest for consideration as presumably where necessary to use gasoline M m r codtainers for potable water there would not be such materials or their equivalent readily available. Furthermore, the procedure might be more adapted to smaller containers that readily can be handled for purposes of agitation than such containers as tank trucks and tank cars. If the containers could be blown out well enough with air the use of a solvent might not be necessary. If you wish to follow up further thorough cleaning of the Interior of the used gasoline containers, rather than dependence upon an applied coating, possibly you would make some progress if you would get in touch with some of the representatives^ manufacturers of industrial cleaners. N 5311