A drum liner keeps the product off the drum and the drum off the product. That cuts drum cleaning, protects the next batch from the last one and turns cleanup into lifting out a bag.
We make drum and tank liner film on our Orlando lines, in heavier gauges built for puncture and abrasion. Special sizes and large fabricated liners are made here or sourced through our partner network, and we manage the whole order.
Drum Liners vs Trash Bags
They look alike. They are not built for the same job.
A trash bag only has to survive one trip to the dumpster, so its spec usually stops at size and thickness. A drum liner may hold product under steady weight for months. It rubs against a steel rim, takes a hit from a dip tube or pump wand and touches whatever is inside the whole time.
That is why a drum liner spec starts with the contents, not the size.
Using a contractor bag as a drum liner works until it does not. The failure usually shows up at the bottom, where weight concentrates and discharge equipment makes contact. Our guide to chemical drum liner requirements walks through each of those stresses.
55 Gallon Drum Liners and Other Sizes
A standard 55 gallon drum is roughly 22.5 inches across and about 34.5 inches tall. Wrap a liner around that diameter and you need about 71 inches of circumference. That is a little over 35 inches of layflat before you add any room to drop it in.
Then the liner needs extra length to fold over the rim and stay put while you fill. That overhang is where a lot of liners tear, so gauge and resin matter there too.
We size liners for 55 gallon drums, smaller drums, totes and tanks from the container dimensions you send.
Food Grade Drum Liners
Food grade drum liners start with resins and additives suitable for direct food contact. We make food-contact film for products that sit in a drum for weeks, like syrups, purees, oils and dry ingredients.
Tell us the product and which documents your quality team requires. We confirm what material records are available for the proposed structure before you order, so the paperwork is ready when the liners ship.
Chemical Resistant Drum Liners
Polyethylene resists a wide range of common industrial chemicals. It does not resist everything.
Strong solvents, some acids and aggressive oxidizers can attack it. Concentration, temperature and contact time all change the answer.
So we ask for the safety data sheet first. From there we choose the resin, the gauge and, when needed, a multi-layer structure with a chemically resistant inner layer. Our chemical resistant liner FAQ and chemical packaging page explain how we approach it.
Drum Liner and Tank Liner Specs We Adjust
Each requirement below points to a different setting on the film. Getting the first one right decides whether the rest even matter.
| Liner requirement | What we adjust | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical compatibility | Resin family and inner layer | A liner that swells or cracks from the inside fails without warning. |
| Puncture and impact | Gauge and LLDPE content | Fill pressure and drops hit the bottom of the liner first. |
| Seal strength over time | Seal resin and gauge | Liners hold weight for months, not minutes. |
| Stiffness at a thin gauge | HDPE in the blend | A thinner liner that still resists tearing. |
| Stretch and tear resistance | LLDPE or metallocene LLDPE blend | A liner that stretches to fit instead of splitting at the rim. |
| Food contact | Resin and additive selection | The film touches the product the whole time it sits in the drum. |
| Gauge | Thickness in mil | More gauge buys puncture and abrasion resistance at a higher resin cost. |
Tank Liners
Tank liners follow the same rules at a bigger scale. They protect poly, steel and concrete tanks from the contents, or the contents from the tank.
Bigger liners mean wider film or seamed panels. Liner film is made on our Orlando lines. Large fabricated tank liners are made here or sourced through our partner network, and you still get one quote and one contact.
What to Send for a Fast Drum Liner Quote
Seven details, and the first one matters most.
- The safety data sheet or an exact description of the contents.
- Concentration, temperature and how long the product stays in the liner.
- Container type and size, such as a 55 gallon steel drum or a 275 gallon tote.
- How you fill and empty it, including pumps, dip tubes or tipping.
- Food contact or other documents your quality team requires.
- Gauge if you know it, or a sample of the liner you use today.
- Yearly volume and delivery location.
Send it through our quote form or call (407) 704-0800. A standard request is typically quoted within one to two business days. Want to see the film before a full run? Ask about samples.