[Daily Car Maintenance] Cold knowledge that old drivers don’t know: Is plastic fuel tanks really unsafe?
SusieNeedham 
8 Hello everyone, this is a column focusing on car repair and maintenance. There are car secrets you don’t know here, and it will teach you how to avoid big pits on the road to car maintenance. I believe that not only you, but also many people have a certain hazy feeling about the automotive aftermarket. Here will help you uncover the unknown stories of car repair and maintenance.
Car safety is not only a concern for car manufacturers, but also a topic that every car owner cares about. Xiaobian recently heard the most discussion about the material of fuel tanks. There was a lot of news spread online that plastic fuel tanks were unsafe, which must have caused a certain amount of panic to unknown car owners.
In this issue, Xiaobian will take you to interpret together: Is plastic fuel tanks really as unsafe as the legend says?
Does the fuel tank on every car have that material?
1 Metal fuel tank
Cars have been using metal fuel tanks since their birth, which has a long history. Durability and stable performance are its main advantages.
2 Plastic fuel tank
Plastic fuel tanks are a rising star. Although their application cycle is not that long, they have been in use for many years. Light weight, low processing costs, and high plasticity are its main advantages.
Second, there are three aspects to the unsafe plastic fuel tanks.
1 Poor impact resistance.
2 It is easy to catch fire if there is static electricity.
3 Easy to explode.
Three revealing moments
1 Poor impact resistance
The material of the plastic fuel tank is engineering plastic, and its impact resistance is not worse than that of iron. It has very excellent ductility, but it will not deform like a metal fuel tank when hit.
The location of the fuel tank is relatively hidden. If it is really deformed seriously, the entire car will probably fall apart by this time.
The material of the plastic fuel tank is engineering plastic, and its impact resistance is not worse than that of iron. It has very excellent ductility, but it will not deform like a metal fuel tank when hit.
The location of the fuel tank is relatively hidden. If it is really deformed seriously, the entire car will probably fall apart by this time.
2 If there is static electricity, it is easy to catch fire
To prove the static removal ability of the plastic fuel tank, Xiaobian had to tear apart the oil pump inside the fuel tank for display.
To prove the static removal ability of the plastic fuel tank, Xiaobian had to tear apart the oil pump inside the fuel tank for display.
It is a fact that plastic fuel tanks are indeed more likely to generate static electricity. But if you can think of such a big mistake, the engineer must have thought of it. So engineers came up with a way to use oil pumps to collect static electricity.
The black line collects static electricity and then conducts the static electricity to the car body. When refueling is done, the static electricity will be introduced into the earth along the refueling gun.
3 Easily explosive
In fact, neither plastic fuel tanks nor iron fuel tanks can absolutely prevent explosions. In the current automobile industry, there is basically no big gap between the two in this regard.
3 Easily explosive
In fact, neither plastic fuel tanks nor iron fuel tanks can absolutely prevent explosions. In the current automobile industry, there is basically no big gap between the two in this regard.
Is there a particularly safe fuel tank?
Of course there is. This one you are looking at in front of you is the explosion-proof fuel tank in the racing field. Of course, it is not absolutely explosion-proof, but it is very safe. The appearance is made of lead alloy and is protected by a liner, making it very resistant to impact.
Of course there is. This one you are looking at in front of you is the explosion-proof fuel tank in the racing field. Of course, it is not absolutely explosion-proof, but it is very safe. The appearance is made of lead alloy and is protected by a liner, making it very resistant to impact.
4. Why are there so many models using plastic fuel tanks now?
At least 70% of models in the current automobile market use plastic fuel tanks, whether Japanese or German.
There must be a reason why so many manufacturers are using plastic fuel tanks, that is, the plasticity of plastic fuel tanks is too good. Nowadays, car designs are becoming more and more complex, which leads to the fuel tank changing with the model. Traditional metal fuel tanks are costly to make complex shapes. As a result, manufacturers began to gradually apply plastic fuel tanks.
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