15-tonne molasses leak plugged by inventor
A giant, sticky mess from a 15-tonne molasses tank in Charlottetown was stopped last week when a local inventor brought his new product to the rescue.
Agro Co-op in Charlottetown did not notice the leak in the tank, which is used to store molasses for animal feed, until it was too late. It began oozing out of three small holes shortly after a fill up last Wednesday afternoon.
"It wouldn't stop leaking. It just kept coming out, coming out, coming out, and it was making a mess," Justin Skinner of Agro Co-op told CBC News Monday.
"Our first initial thought was that we could weld the tank," said office manager Colleen Dean.
"But with molasses being able to heat up it wasn't an option."
Dean's husband had heard of a local company that might have a solution, and she called Glen Cox, president of Zengo Inc. in Stratford. Cox had invented a plug meant mainly to stop leaks in oil tanks. Molasses spills were not in the design specs, but he is still experimenting with the product and thought it was worth a try.
Cox arrived at Agro Co-op a few minutes after getting the call.
"After a minute of showing Justin how the product worked, and how to install it, the molasses had been turned off," said Dean.
"It was amazing."
The RS2 plug consists of a plug with a pin on one end and a strap on the other. To stop a leak, you stick the pin in the hole then pull on the strap, tightening the plug on the hole.
"I think we made a lot of horses happy because now they're going to get molasses in their feed," said Cox.
Cox is still a couple of months away from manufacturing the rupture seals for market. They'll cost $89 for three. He says orders are already coming in from trucking companies and fire departments, and there's broader interest too.
"We have actually already received inquiries from the U.K. from a company that's doing research for the British navy," said Cox.
"They're looking for a product that can seal shrapnel damage."
The RS2 is meant to be a temporary solution, and once the molasses level in the tank drops below the leaks, Agro Co-op will be able to weld them shut permanently.