Riboluo Chemicals Chemical distribution from China — products, CAS specifications and supply capability

Can different chemicals travel in one container? Mixed loads, consolidation and the limits

· RIBOLUO CHEMICALS (ZHEJIANG) CO., LTD.

Often yes — but the boundary is not commercial. Whether two products may be combined is decided by the class-pair segregation table in IMDG 7.2.4 and each substance’s entry in the Dangerous Goods List. Where the result is “separated from” or stricter, the two cannot share a container unless a listed exception applies. Nothing below relaxes a dangerous goods requirement.

1. “Mixed load” hides three different questions

QuestionGoverning ruleEffect
Same outer packaging?IMDG 7.2.3.2.1Not permitted whenever a segregation term applies to the pair
Same container (CTU)?IMDG 7.2.3.2.2 with 7.3.4.1Not permitted for “separated from” or stricter; “away from” pairs may share a unit only with approval
Same vessel?IMDG 7.1, 7.4–7.7A question about ship stowage, not about how the container is packed

IMDG 7.2.3.2 states the first two: whenever a segregation term applies, the goods are “not permitted to be packed in the same outer packaging” and “not permitted to be transported in the same cargo transport unit except as provided in 7.2.6 and 7.3.4”.

2. What the class table says, and what “X” means

The table uses four degrees — 1 “away from”, 2 “separated from”, 3 “separated by a complete compartment or hold from”, 4 “separated longitudinally by an intervening complete compartment or hold from” — and one symbol: X, meaning the Dangerous Goods List must be consulted for the individual substances.

Class pairCodeMay share one CTU?
2.1 × 2.2 (R32 × R134a)XOnly after checking both entries
2.2 × 3 (R134a × acetone)1Yes, with competent-authority approval (7.3.4.1)
2.1 × 3 (R32 × acetone)2No
2.2 × 6.1 (R134a × DCM)XCheck both entries; the class table alone does not decide
5.1 × 32No
6.1 × 4.21Yes, with approval

The table gives class-pair minima only. Column 16b of a substance’s own entry can be stricter, and the entry takes precedence (IMDG 7.2.3.1) — which is why two products in the same class can behave differently.

3. The container boundary is drawn by the Code, not by the forwarder

IMDG 7.3.4.1 is short and leaves little room:

“Dangerous goods which have to be segregated from each other according to the provisions in chapter 7.2 shall not be transported in the same cargo transport unit with the exception of dangerous goods which shall be segregated ‘away from’ each other which may be transported in the same cargo transport unit with the approval of the competent authority.”

So “separated from” cannot be satisfied by stowing the two groups at opposite ends of one container or by dunnage. It means two containers — or a written competent-authority approval for an equivalent standard of safety.

A second check sits with the packer: the container/vehicle packing certificate (IMDG 5.4.2.1) certifies that packages requiring segregation have not been packed together in that unit, unless approved under 7.3.4.1. A false or careless certificate is where liability lands.

4. What is routinely combined — and on what conditions

CombinationBasisConditions
Several Class 2.2 refrigerants (R134a, R22, R404A, R407C) in one container2.2 × 2.2 = X; check each entryEach cylinder keeps its own UN number, class label and markings; carrier approval
Class 6.1 PG III chlorinated solvents together (DCM UN 1593, chloroform UN 1888)Same class; 7.2.6.1No dangerous reaction between them
Refrigerants with chlorinated solvents in one container2.2 × 6.1 = XBoth entries checked, segregation groups checked, carrier approval
A Class 8 acid with a Class 8 alkaliSegregation groups SGG1/SGG18Only under 7.2.6.5: no dangerous reaction, not more than 30 L or 30 kg per package, the transport document statement, and a test report on request
Limited-quantity packages of otherwise incompatible goodsIMDG chapter 3.4The relief in 3.4.4.2 applies only to packages that qualify under column 7a with the 3.4.2 limits

5. Segregation groups: the pairings that surprise buyers

Beyond classes, the Code groups substances by chemical family (IMDG 7.2.5): SGG1 acids, SGG6 cyanides, SGG10 liquid halogenated hydrocarbons, SGG18 alkalis, and others. Individual entries then carry codes such as SG32 (“away from” SGG10 — liquid halogenated hydrocarbons), SG35 (“separated from” SGG1 — acids) and SG49 (“separated from” SGG6 — cyanides).

Two consequences matter commercially. A chlorinated solvent is a liquid halogenated hydrocarbon, so goods carrying SG32 must be stowed “away from” it — and “away from” is the one degree that can be satisfied inside a single container, with approval. And where an N.O.S. entry is used, the consignor decides whether the substance belongs to a segregation group and must say so on the transport document (5.4.1.5.11.1) — for example “IMDG Code segregation group SGG1”.

6. Non-dangerous cargo: foodstuffs in the same container

IMDG 7.3.4.2.1 prohibits goods with a primary or subsidiary hazard of classes 2.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7 and 8 from being transported with foodstuffs in the same CTU. 7.3.4.2.2 excepts packing group III of classes 6.1 and 8, packing group II of class 8, and packing group III goods with a subsidiary 6.1 or 8 hazard — provided they are not loaded within 3 m of the foodstuffs.

So dichloromethane (UN 1593, 6.1, PG III) may share a container with foodstuffs only under that 3 m rule, while a Class 6.1 packing group I or II substance may not be in the container at all. For a consolidator filling mixed LCL cargo this check often forces a second container.

7. You cannot combine the products themselves

Pouring one product into another’s drum is not consolidation. It creates a new mixture, which must be classified and named by the consignor under IMDG Part 2, and whose five-element description will differ from both originals. It is not a route to fewer documents and cannot render a segregated pair compliant. Empty uncleaned packaging keeps its own description too: “EMPTY UNCLEANED” or “RESIDUE LAST CONTAINED” must be added (5.4.1.4.3.2).

8. The limits that are not ours to waive

FAQ

Can different refrigerants go in one container? Class 2.2 with 2.2 shows “X”, so the individual entries decide. Cylinders of different refrigerants are routinely co-loaded, each with its own UN number and class label. They are never mixed into the same cylinder.

Can solvents and refrigerants travel together? 2.2 × 6.1 also shows “X”. Where neither entry imposes segregation, the pair may share a unit. A flammable gas (2.1, e.g. R32) with a flammable liquid (3) shows “2” — those cannot share a container.

Does a limited-quantity package avoid segregation? Chapter 3.4 exempts qualifying limited-quantity packages from the segregation provisions of chapters 7.2 to 7.7 (3.4.4.2). The quantity limits in column 7a and the 30 kg gross mass limit are fixed: the exemption follows the packaging, not the shipper’s preference.

Can I mix two products in one drum to save space? No. The result is a new mixture with a new classification and a new proper shipping name, and the consignor is responsible for it.

Consolidating a mixed load through a distributor

RIBOLUO CHEMICALS (ZHEJIANG) CO., LTD. is a chemical distribution and trading platform — not a manufacturer. Combining lines from qualified Chinese producers into one shipment is normal, and the segregation analysis is part of the paperwork.

For a mixed enquiry we work from the product list, the packings and the loading and discharge ports, and return: the class, UN number and packing group per line; the segregation position for each pair, including segregation-group codes; the statements the transport document must carry; and the packaging and marking requirements. Send that list to tom@riboluo.com.

For general information only — not legal or regulatory advice. Segregation, stowage and carrier acceptance rules differ by mode, by edition and by line, and they change; verify the combination against the current IMDG/ADR/49 CFR text and the carrier’s own requirements before booking.

Prepared by RIBOLUO CHEMICALS (ZHEJIANG) CO., LTD., a member of Hangrui Group — a chemical distribution platform (sourcing, consolidation and documentation), not a manufacturer. We buy from qualified producers and supply under our own documentation (COA, SDS and packing documents).

Sources

采购实操 · Riboluo Chemicals can provide.
Need current specs, quota status, or a mixed-load quote for Can different chemicals travel in one container? Mixed loads, consolidation and the limits? Contact tom@riboluo.com with your spec and delivery location.