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IBC totes
Washed composite IBC totes stacked two high
IBC reference · on every page
Reference sheets for the numbers people ask about most.
Specifications, grade descriptions, thread standards, weights, gasket selection, freight limits and conversions. Open what you need; none of it is gated.
Container specs14 rows
Typical dimensions for the two common composite sizes. Check the plate on a specific unit.
| Attribute | 275 gallon | 330 gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 275 gal / 1,041 L | 330 gal / 1,249 L |
| Footprint | 48" × 40" | 48" × 40" |
| Height | 46" | 53" |
| Tare weight | 125–135 lb | 140–155 lb |
| Gross, water | ≈2,425 lb | ≈2,900 lb |
| Max gross mass | 2,800 lb | 3,300 lb |
| Stack, full | 2 high | 2 high |
| Stack, empty | 4 high | 4 high |
| Two-high stack height | 92" | 106" |
| Per 53′ van, volume | 48 | 40 |
| Per 53′ van, weight-limited | 17 full | 14 full |
| Fill opening | 6" vented or solid | 6" vented or solid |
| Discharge | 2" butterfly, S60x6 | 2" butterfly, S60x6 |
| Forklift entry | 4-way | 4-way |
Grade descriptions6 rows
How grades are commonly described. Ask each supplier for their own written definition.
| Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Washed or rinsed | Washed | Rinsed or as-is |
| Bottle | Clear to translucent | Light haze permitted | Staining likely |
| Odour | None | Faint, product-typical | May be present |
| Prior contents | Known, benign | Known | May be unknown |
| Cage | Square, little rust | Sound, cosmetic dents | Cosmetic damage |
| Typical use | Clean-water and general storage | Industrial and agricultural | Non-potable water, waste, rough duty |
Threads & adapters9 rows
The outlet thread decides which adapter you need.
| Fitting | Specification | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 3" butterfly | 3" flange, PP body | Batch dumping, viscous liquids |
| 2" butterfly | S60x6 outlet, EPDM seat | Standard discharge |
| 2" camlock | S60x6 → 2″ male cam | Pump and transfer hose |
| 2" NPT | S60x6 → 2″ male NPT | Rigid plumbing |
| 1" camlock | S60x6 → 1″ male cam | Controlled filling |
| 3/4" GHT | S60x6 → garden hose | Irrigation, wash-down |
| 1/2" spigot | S60x6 → spigot | Hand filling |
| S60x6 | 60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress | Common modern outlet thread |
| S100x8 | 100 mm OD, 8 mm pitch | Older or European valves — use a bushing |
Weights by product10 rows
gallons × 8.34 × specific gravity + tare. The number people skip.
| Product | SG | 275 gal gross | 330 gal gross | Stack? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethanol | 0.79 | 1,940 lb | 2,310 lb | Yes |
| Diesel / fuel oil | 0.85 | 2,080 lb | 2,480 lb | Yes — steel bin only |
| Vegetable oil | 0.92 | 2,240 lb | 2,670 lb | Yes |
| Water | 1.00 | 2,425 lb | 2,900 lb | Yes |
| Latex emulsion | 1.05 | 2,540 lb | 3,040 lb | With care |
| Brine 23% | 1.20 | 2,880 lb | 3,450 lb | No |
| Liquid fertiliser 28-0-0 | 1.28 | 3,065 lb | 3,670 lb | No |
| Corn syrup 42 DE | 1.33 | 3,180 lb | 3,810 lb | No — partial fill |
| Sulphuric acid 50% | 1.40 | 3,340 lb | 4,000 lb | Partial fill |
| Sodium hydroxide 50% | 1.52 | 3,615 lb | 4,335 lb | Partial fill |
Gasket selection9 rows
General guidance only. Confirm compatibility with the product's SDS and your supplier.
| Product family | Gasket | Valve body | Container | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water, brine, glycol | EPDM | Polypropylene | Poly IBC | — |
| Dilute acids | EPDM | Polypropylene | Poly IBC | Brass, carbon steel |
| Caustics | EPDM | Polypropylene | Poly IBC | Aluminium |
| Alcohols under 20% ABV | EPDM | Polypropylene | Poly IBC | — |
| Alcohols over 20% ABV | Viton | Stainless | Stainless bin | Poly bottles |
| Vegetable and mineral oils | Viton | Polypropylene | Poly IBC | EPDM gaskets |
| Fuels, diesel, kerosene | Viton | PP or stainless | Steel bin | Poly bottles |
| Aromatic solvents | Viton | Stainless | 316L bin | All poly parts |
| Flavour, essence, botanical | Viton | Stainless | 316L bin | Poly bottles |
Freight limits8 rows
Volume capacity and weight capacity are different numbers, and weight wins.
| Vehicle | Full, 2 high | Weight-limited full | Empty, 4 high | Liftgate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53′ dry van | 48 | 17 | 96 | No |
| 48′ flatbed | 40 | 17 | 80 | No |
| 26′ box truck | 24 | 8 | 48 | Yes |
| 16′ box truck | 12 | 5 | 24 | Yes |
| Sprinter van | 4 | 2 | 8 | Yes |
| 20′ sea container | 20 | 17 | 40 | No |
| 40′ sea container | 42 | 17 | 84 | No |
| Drop trailer, 53′ | 48 | 17 | 96 | No |
Conversions10 rows
The arithmetic that comes up daily.
| From | To | Multiply by | Worked example |
|---|---|---|---|
| US gallons | Litres | 3.785 | 275 gal = 1,041 L |
| Litres | US gallons | 0.2642 | 1,000 L = 264 gal |
| US gallons of water | Pounds | 8.34 | 275 gal = 2,294 lb |
| Pounds | Kilograms | 0.4536 | 2,425 lb = 1,100 kg |
| Inches | Millimetres | 25.4 | 48" = 1,219 mm |
| Cubic feet | US gallons | 7.481 | 51 ft³ = 381 gal |
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | 27 | 1.4 yd³ = 37.8 ft³ |
| psi | Feet of head (water) | 2.31 | 1.7 psi = 3.9 ft |
| Feet of head | psi | 0.433 | 24 in stand = 0.87 psi |
| gpm | Litres per minute | 3.785 | 70 gpm = 265 L/min |
Vocabulary, in twelve lines
- IBC
- Intermediate bulk container — anything between a drum and a tanker, in practice 110–550 gallons on a forkliftable base.
- Composite IBC
- An HDPE bottle inside a welded steel cage on a pallet base. The 275 and 330 gallon workhorses.
- Tare
- Empty weight of the container: 125–135 lb for a 275, 140–155 lb for a 330.
- Gross mass
- Container plus contents. Most 275s are rated to 2,800 lb; exceed it and the bottle bulges rather than bursts.
- Node
- A welded intersection in the cage where load actually transfers. The correct place to inspect.
- S60x6
- The standard outlet thread: 60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress. Hand tight only.
- Prior contents
- What the container last held, logged against the original label. The single most consequential fact about any used tote.
- Rebottle
- A new HDPE bottle fitted into an inspected existing cage — a never-filled interior on a reused frame.
- UN 31HA1
- Marking for a composite IBC approved for liquids. Belongs to the assembly and carries a service life.
- Regrind
- Granulated recycled HDPE. Post-industrial IBC regrind goes to pipe, conduit, pallets — never food contact.
- Reuse
- Putting a container back into service instead of making a new one. It avoids the materials and energy a new container would need.
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