Trade name/synonym name:Trichloromethane; Methane, trichloro- ; Methane trichloride; Formyl chloride
Colourless, heavy, volatile liquid, with a characteristic odour.
Toxic by inhalation; anaesthetic; prolonged inhalation or ingestion may be fatal. Suspected of causing cancer. May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure
Main properties:
Flash point Non-flammable
Boiling points 61 deg. C
Melting point < 0 deg. C
Viscosity @ 20°C < 50 mPa.s
Vapour pressure @ 20°C 21 kPa. (Suitable for ventilation - but not recommended due to toxicity)
Density 1484 kg/m3 @ 20 deg. C.
IBC carriage requirements:
IBC chapter 17
Ship Type 3
Tank Type 2G
Relevant additional IBC req.
15.12 Toxic products. Vapour-return line to shore installation. Not to be stowed adjacent to oil fuel tanks. Separate piping systems. Relief-valve settings minimum 0.02 Mpa (200 mBar).
15.19.6 high-level alarm
“T” an instrument or detector tubes for detection of toxic cargo vapours shall be on board.
MARPOL Requirements:
Annex II
Pollution Category Y
Special information to be added to Shipping Document Standard information.
Cargo tank material:
Stainless steel Yes - Please check steel manufacturer's notes. Full product specification including impurities must be known. Only to be loaded into dry tanks and carried under dry nitrogen blanket
Epoxy No/yes - Chloroform tends to hydrolyse in the presence of water to form organic or inorganic acids Carefully check cargo tank coating manufacturer's requirements to carriage. (Typical: tanks to be completely dry before loading, acid value and water content below a certain level)
´Zinc Yes/no - Please check cargo tank coating manufacturer's notes. (Typical: tanks to be completely dry before loading, acid value and water content below a certain level) Chloroform tends to hydrolyse in the presence of water to form organic or inorganic acids.
Stowage:
Heat adjacent Max. 38 deg. C
Stow adjacent to fuel oil tanks No
Carriage requirements:
Heating during voyage No
Heating during unloading No
Tanks inerted or padded - Not required by IBC Code. Nitrogen blanket required by most shippers. Cargo tanks and cargo tank piping as well as cargo tank atmosphere must be dry before loading
No prewash required.
Tank cleaning:
Note for epoxy coating! Chloroform is penetrative for some or all epoxy coatings and in many cases is known to be strongly absorbed and retained inside the coatings
Chloroform is hydrolysable and may damage both zinc- and epoxy coating when the cargo contains more than a certain amount of water. The Acid Value is also an issue. Therefore, carefully check certificate of quality as well as coating manufacturer's resistance list. It could be required to ventilate the cargo tank until it has been restored before water is used for washing as foolows:
Ambient temperature water wash
Ambient temperature freshwater rinse
Emergency Response
Fire: Not flammable
Spillage: Collect small spills with absorbent material. Larger spills: Try to collect and transfer to spill tank or wash away with water. When in port, - inform Port Authority
First aid: Remove victim to fresh air. Follow first aid instructions in MSDS. Consider obtaining advice from Radio Medical
Wear gas tight chemical protection suit and self-contained breathing apparatus when handling cargo spill and when there is a risk of getting into contact with cargo liquid or vapour
Hazards (Occupational safety etc)
An instrument or detector tubes for detecting Chloroform vapours shall be on board
TLV 2 ppm. Absorbed through intact skin
Extremely hazardous in case of ingestion, of inhalation. Hazardous in case of skin contact, of eye contact
May cause cancer. Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure
Precautions:
Carefully check cargo specifications for water content, acid value, impurities etc. (care of cargo tank coating/material)
Avoid contact with liquid. Do not inhale cargo vapours. Take care when ventilating cargo tanks
Due to the high density of this cargo, please calculate maximum filling level in cargo tanks in order not to exceed the permissible load on the tanktop - This is important for vessels' cargo tanks constructed to carry full load of cargo having maximum density equal to the density of sea water (1025 kg/m3). Such tanks can only be filled 69 %
Use:
Fluorocarbon plastics, solvent, analytical chemistry, fumigant, insecticides
The BIMCO Liquid Cargo Database contains information for more than 350 cargoes, all updated to the IBC Code 2021 amended requirements, but in order 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.
