Steel drums, also called metal drums or 55-gallon drums, carry food ingredients, chemicals and industrial liquids around the world. Buyers usually choose between three types. Here is how they compare.
Straight-sided (cylindrical)
- • The familiar standard steel drum
- • Does not nest: about 4 empties per pallet
- • About 290 empties per 53-foot trailer
Reconditioned
- • A used straight-sided drum, cleaned and inspected
- • Condition varies from drum to drum
- • Same freight space as a new straight-sided drum
Conical (nestable)
- • Handled like a standard steel drum when full
- • Nests when empty: 100 per pallet
- • About 2,000 empties per 53-foot trailer
The electric car of steel drums
An electric car drives the same roads as any other car. What changes is what is under the hood. Conical drums work the same way. You fill, close, stack and ship them using familiar practices, but their geometry changes the cost of empties: 5 truckloads instead of 35 for 10,000 drums, with up to 35% lower transport CO₂ per drum.
Capacities and options
Conical steel drums come in 55, 58 and 60 US gallon capacities (approximately 208, 220 and 227 liters). Options include food-contact interiors, aseptic bags and liners, and plastic, metal, galvanized or aluminized-steel lids. UN 1A1/1A2-certified configurations are available for regulated goods.
Read more: Conical vs. reconditioned steel drums · Full conical drum dimensions and specifications
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