Trade name/synonym name: Vinylbenzene; Phenylethylene; Ethenyl benzene; Cinnamene; Styrol; Styrolene.
Colourless or yellow-like oily liquid. Flammable. Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Readily undergoes polymerisation when heated or exposed to light. Must be inhibited during storage and transport.
Carriage requirements:
IBC chapter 17
Ship Type 3
Tank Type 2G
15.12 Toxic products. Requirements to exhaust openings of vent systems. Connection for vapour-return line to the shore installation. Not to be stowed adjacent to oil fuel tanks. Separate piping systems. Cargo tank relief-valve setting minimum 0.02 MPa gauge (= 200 mBar).
15.13 inhibition.
IBC 15.13.3 requires the vessel to be provided with a certificate of protection (inhibition) from the manufacturer of the cargo.
15.19.6 high level alarm.
16.6.1 no heat adjacent.
16.6.2 heating coils shall be blanked off.
“T” an instrument or detector tubes for detection of toxic cargo vapours shall be on board.
MARPOL requirements:
Annex II
Pollution Category Y
Stowage:
Heat adjacent No
Stow adjacent to fuel oil tanks No
Carriage requirements:
Heating during voyage No (heating coils shall be blanked off)
Heating during unloading No
Tanks inerted or padded - Not required by the IBC Code but check with shipper. (Inhibitor used will probably be oxygen dependant, and O2 content is recommended to be between 6 - 8 %)
Tank cleaning:
No prewash required by MARPOL Annex II.
As Styrene monomer is inhibited to prevent polymerization, heat should be avoided during tank cleaning if cargo residues remain in tanks, pumps and cargo piping.
- Flush the lines and tank bottom with ambient temperature water in order to remove the inhibited cargo residues
- Ambient temperature water wash immediately after unloading
- Warm/hot temperature water wash
- Ambient temperature freshwater rinse
- If next cargo to load requires wall-wash test for PTT (Permanganate Time Test) it may be necessary to circulate with suitable alkaline based cleaner followed by a warm/hot wash for at least 2 hours.
The cargo may form explosive peroxides. Polymerizes due to warming, under the influence of light, oxidants, oxygen, and peroxides. Polymerization of the cargo is possible at elevated temperatures above 52 deg C even if the cargo is stabilized with an inhibitor. Reacts violently with strong acids and strong oxidants.
Classified as a human carcinogen TLV is 25 ppm and an instrument or detector tubes for detection of toxic cargo vapours shall be on board.
Polymerises with risk of fire and explosion. Reacts with strong oxidising agents. Material is stable when properly inhibited.
Remarks
Before loading styrene monomer: If only few tanks are to be loaded with styrene monomer, avoid using the common manifold line, use spool pieces and hoses instead and load directly into individual tanks through drop line.
- Styrene monomer will require very clean tanks prior to loading
- Uninhibited cargo vapour may polymerise and block P/V valves
- Difficult to remove cargo- and inhibitor residues from organic coatings
- Difficult to remove odour from tanks
- Styrene monomer is not recommended as prior cargo to sensitive next cargoes.
Use: Base chemical to produce polystyrene, rubbers, and resins.
The BIMCO Liquid Cargo Database contains information on some 330 cargoes, all updated to the IBC Code 2021 amended requirements, but to ensure that the BIMCO Liquid Cargo Database information is kept updated, we highly welcome any feedback in the form of comments, response, information or data regarding a specific cargo.
