You certainly learn something new every day. I've just sent this out to media which reveals why toxic chemicals don't burn through the sides of tankers.

If all tankers were made just of steel then acid would simply burn through them and spill out onto our roads. Not a lot of people know that. Not a lot of people even thought that. And, let's face it, why should they?

So how do tankers such as those at Qualitech Environmental Services actually transport highly corrosive substances without literally falling to bits?

Well, they are coated in some surprising substances to stop this happening ranging from rubber to – would you believe it – glass which is way tougher than you thought.

The science behind this is quite amazing and glass and rubber-lined tanks, for instance, are needed to carry waste acids and hydrochloric acid.

And it's quite a technical process to apply it. The steel needs to be prepared before being primed with a rubber glue followed by a second rubber glue coating before the uncured 4-6mm thick rubber is applied in wide sheets and pressed on with hand rollers. Finally, it is vulcanised – that simply means hardened - by heating it with steam or hot water for up to 30 hours.

Making glass-lined tankers is an even lengthier and more technical process that involves a glass flake which are exceptionally thin sheets of glass suspended in a chemical resistant resin which is applied using high volume low pressure spray equipment. Amazingly, glass-lined tankers have been around for more than 300 years. Glass is extremely resistant to corrosion to most acids.

Glass also has good anti-stick qualities. Many substances will not stick to glass, but will stick to metal so glass-lined tankers are relatively quick and easy to clean and sterilise.

The 30-strong Qualitech (https://www.qualitechservices.co.uk) fleet of tankers – each with a 30,000 litre capacity - includes both rubber and glass-lined tanks. The company has bases in both St Helens, Merseyside, and Newport in south Wales.

Qualitech director Roy Brunt said: “People see tankers on our roads day in and day out and won't give a moment's thought to what's keeping the substance actually in there and the technology behind it.

“It's all about science and substances and this will certainly raise a few eyebrows. After all, why would anyone who isn't in the industry think for a moment that the tanker in front of them has a glass or rubber lining but without it they certainly wouldn't want to be in the vehicle behind.”