5.

Chemical Tankers
Capt. S. Viswanathan
Introduction
• SOLAS Chapter VII Part B discusses about Construction and
equipment of ships carrying dangerous liquid chemicals in bulk
• IBC - International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships
carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code)
• designed to carry a large number of segregated products
simultaneously.
• several products may be handled simultaneously at one berth,
typically including different operations such as discharge and loading
as well as tank cleaning.
Types of Chemical tankers
• ST1 is a chemical tanker intended to transport most dangerous
products, which require maximum preventive measures to preclude an
escape of such cargo. (Accordingly, a type 1 ship should survive the
most severe standard of damage stability and its cargo tanks should be
located at the maximum prescribed distance onboard from the shell
plating)
• - ST2 is a chemical tanker intended to transport products requiring
significant preventive measures.
• - ST3 is a chemical tanker intended to transport products requiring
moderate degree of containment to increase survival capability in a
damaged condition.
Types of Chemicals
• Category X: to present a major hazard to either marine resources or human health
and, therefore, justify the prohibition of the discharge into the marine environment;
• Category Y: to present a hazard to either marine resources or human health or
cause harm to amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea and therefore justify a
limitation on the quality and quantity of the discharge into the marine environment;
• Category Z: to present a minor hazard to either marine resources or human health
and therefore justify less stringent restrictions on the quality and quantity of the
discharge into the marine environment; and
• Other Substances: substances which have been evaluated and found to fall outside
Category X, Y or Z because they are considered to present no harm to marine
resources, human health, amenities or other legitimate uses of the sea when
discharged into the sea from tank cleaning of deballasting operations.
Hazards of chemical cargoes
• Reactivity
• Self Reaction: The most common form of self-reaction is polymerisation
• Reaction with water: Certain cargoes react with water in a way that could
pose a danger to both the ship and its personnel. Toxic gases may be
evolved, isocyanates.
• Reaction with air: Certain chemical cargoes, mostly ethers, may react
with oxygen in air or in the chemical to form unstable oxygen compounds
(peroxides) which, if allowed to build up, could cause an explosion.
• Reaction with other cargoes: Some cargoes react dangerously with one
another. Such cargoes should be stowed away from each other
Hazards of chemical cargoes
• Reaction with other materials: The materials used in construction of the
cargo systems must be compatible with the cargo to be carried, and care
must be taken to ensure that no incompatible materials are used or
introduced during maintenance
• Flammability
• Vapour given off by a flammable liquid will burn when ignited provided it is
mixed with certain proportions of air, or more accurately with the oxygen in
air.
• Volatile and Non Volatile Cargoes.
• If a cargo is being handled at a temperature within 10C of its flashpoint, it
should be considered volatile.
Hazards of chemical cargoes
• Toxicity
• Toxic means the same as poisonous. Toxicity is the ability of a
substance, when inhaled, ingested, or absorbed by the skin.
• Acute poisoning
• Suffocation:
• Anaesthesia:
Hazards of chemical cargoes
• Corrosiveness
• Acids, anhydrides and alkalis are among the most commonly carried
corrosive substances. They can rapidly destroy human tissue and
cause irreparable damage.
• PUTREFACTION: Most animal and vegetable oils undergo
decomposition over time, a natural process known as putrefaction
(going off), that generates obnoxious and toxic vapours and depletes
the oxygen in the tank.
• Pollution hazards
Use of IBC code
• The IBC Code provides an international standard for the safe carriage
in bulk by sea of dangerous chemicals and noxious liquid substances
listed in chapter 17 of the Code.
Cargo data sheet
• MSDS is carried onboard for ensuring the safety of marine
environment and seafarers.
• MSDS provides useful and accessible information on the product
carried on board, either as a cargo or for operational purposes.
• MSDS is to be carried out for all individual hazardous material carried
on board along with proper personal protective equipments (PPE) so
that in the time of emergency, appropriate procedures and swift
response can be achieved in that situation.
• Contains 16 chapters.
Objectives of P & A manual
• MARPOL Annex II requires that each chemical tanker be provided with
a P&A Manual.
• concerned with the marine environmental aspects of cleaning of
cargo tanks, and the discharge of cargo residues.
• Adhere at all times to operational procedures with respect to cargo
handling, tank cleaning, slop handling, residue discharge, ballasting
and deballasting.
• The P & A Manual, together with the cargo record book and
Certificate of Fitness, will be checked by the ship’s own flag
administration and by port state control officers.
Certificate of fitness
• An International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous
Chemicals in Bulk shall be issued after an initial or renewal survey to a
chemical tanker engaged in international voyages which comply with
the relevant provisions of the Code.
• Classification society issues the certificate of fitness on behalf of the
administration.
• Valid for 5 years.
Cargo record book
• A Cargo Record Book shall be maintained on every vessel carrying
noxious liquid substances in bulk, in accordance with the provisions of
MARPOL 73/78, Annex II.
• The Cargo Record Book must be available at all times for examination
by Nautical Inspectors or Inspectors of any port State when within the
jurisdiction of that State.
• Cargo loading, unloading, transfer, taking water in cargo tanks, slop
discharge, discharge, emergency discharge etc. must be entered in
the cargo record book.
SMPEP (Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan)

• MARPOL Annex II Regulation 17 requires every chemical tanker of 150

GT and above to carry a SMPEP.
• Scope of this plan is to provide guidance on the actions to be taken if
a spill of oil or noxious liquid substance has occurred or is likely to
occur.
Typical tank arrangements with piping
• Independent tank - separate from the ship’s hull and does not share a
common border
• Integral tank - integral tank on the hand forms part of the vessel’s
structure, classified as a type 2 tank
• Gravity tank - it can either be independent or integral. These tanks
can be part of an adjacent structure or has a separate border.
• Pressure tank - designed to withstand greater pressure than other
tanks, specifically more than 0.07 Mega Pascal of pressure. It must
also be an independent.
Tank cleaning and control of pollution
• Precleaning with sea water: To remove the majority of the product
• Main wash with sea water – To remove clingages in the tank
• Tank Cleaning Chemical wash – 0.04 soap solution for non water
soluble cargoes
• Rinsing with sea water – to get rid of the loosened chemicals
• Flushing with fresh water: - to remove the salts
• Steaming tank and pipelines – removal of odour
Hazards of tank cleaning operation, Use of
slop tanks
• Drying oils if prewashed with hot water will polymerize.
• Washing tanks with portable/ fixed Butterworth machines from
designated areas may not clean everything
• Slop tank to strip the tanks and collection of the tank cleanings.
Closed circuit loading operation
• Special precautions are necessary onboard a chemical tanker during closed
loading of various grade liquid chemicals.
• Closed loading/discharge means loading or discharging with securely closed
ullage, sounding and sighting ports. Additionally the venting must be
controlled.
• For gauging e.g. ullaging and sounding closed devices must be used.
• The level alarm systems must be operated during the entire closed cargo
operation.
• Closed cargo operations must be stopped as soon as any essential system for
safe loading or discharging becomes inoperative.
• Sampling to be carried out with closed sampler whenever possible.
Framo pumps and unloading operation
• Submersible
pump,
operated
hydraulically or
eleectrically.
 Various tank coatings
• Inorganic coatings – zinc silicates and ethyl
silicate types.
• Generally, the life of this coating is
proportional to the thickness of the coat. This
coating is one-layer coating, comprising of
inorganic silicates pigmented with high
percentage of zinc powder.
• Organic coatings – epoxy and modified epoxy
systems.
• This type of coating consists an organic resin
system, which form strong chemical bonds
between the resin molecules. Those types of
coating have the ability to resist in more strong
acids or alkalis than inorganic coatings. And
they tend to absorb significant quantities of
cargo and contamination problems can occurs.
Introduction to CHRIS code
• Chemical Hazard Response Information System, operated by US coast
guard, is designed to provide information essential for proper
decision-making during the emergencies involving the water transport
of hazardous chemicals CHRIS operates in USA and consists of: –
• Regional contingency plans,
• Hazard assessment computer system,
• Coastguard organization unit
• Four reference manual
Questions
• What are the 3 types of chemical tankers?
• What are the 4 types of chemical cargoes?
• What are the hazards associated with chemicals?
• What are the gas measuring instruments carried on chemical tankers?
• What is IBC code?
• What is P&A manuals?
• What is cargo record book?
• What are the 4 types of tank arrangements in Chemical tanker?
• How tanks are cleaned in chemical tankers?
• What is closed circuit loading operation?
• Explain Framo pumps and unloading operation?
• What is CHRIS code?