Who makes Alkatuff? Do they also make tanks?

Alkatuff is a Linear Low Density Polyethylene resin specially made for the manufacture of poly water tanks. Alkatuff is manufactured by Qenos, Australia’s sole manufacturer and leading supplier of world class polyethylene and polymers. Qenos suppliers Alkatuff resin to compound grinders who add colour to the resin and grind it into powder form suitable for the rotational moulding process. Qenos is not a manufacturer of tanks.

The quality of a rotationally-moulded polyethylene article is highly dependent on the characteristics of the powder particles in regard to their size, shape and size-distribution, in addition to the properties of the polymer grade being used. Alkatuff LLDPE base polymers and compounds are ground in high speed grinding mills to the requirements of the rotational moulding industry. All grades of powder are produced to a manufacturing specification which clearly defines the particle size, the amount of fines present, and the bulk density.

In the rotational moulding process (often called rotomoulding), polyethylene powder is heated in a mould of the shape required to form a hollow moulded article. While the mould and powder are being heated, the mould is rotated simultaneously about two perpendicular axes to distribute the powder evenly over its internal surfaces and to cast a uniform coating of the molten polymer. After cooling the mould, the moulding is removed and the cycle repeated. There are four basic stages to this process, viz. mould charging, mould heating, mould cooling, and demoulding. However, it is the heating and cooling steps which mainly affect the quality of the production.