Trade name/synonym name: Crude coconut oil; Hydrogenated coconut oil; RBD coconut oil; Cochin; Cocos nucifera oil; Virgin coconut oi.
This schedule will deal with coconut oi in its "raw" form i.e. "Crude coconut oil".
Main properties/hazards
- White, semisolid fat containing C12 to C15. Non-drying oil. Slight odour. Edible. Not considered as hazardous. Combustible and may contain fatty acid.
Main chemical and physical properties
- Flash point > 100 deg. C
- Boiling points Not available
- Melting point Depending on grade but more than 20 deg. C
- Viscosity @ 20°C > 50 mPa.s (Viscosity 50 mPa.s @ 24 deg. C)
- Vapour pressure @ 20°C < 5 kPa
- Density Around 900 kg/ m3 @ 40 deg. C
IBC carriage requirements:
- IBC chapter 17
- Ship Type 2(k)
- Tank Type 2G
Relevant additional IBC requirements:
15.19.6 high-level alarm
16.2.6 cargo's viscosity at 20 deg. C, or the temperature at which the cargo has a viscosity of 50 mPa.s shall be specified in the shipping document, 16.2.7 the cargo is subject to the prewash requirements in regulation 13.7.1.4 of Annex II of MARPOL. (Persistent floater unloaded inside “certain regional areas”) and 16.2.9 cargo's melting point shall be indicated in the shipping document.
MARPOL Requirements Annex II Pollution Category Y
Special information to be added to Shipping Document - Cargo's viscosity at 20 deg. C, or the temperature at which the cargo has a viscosity of 50 mPa.s as well as the cargo's melting point shall be specified in the shipping document.
As different grades exist - please obtain heating instructions from shippers.
Heating during unloading 40 - 50 deg. C
Tanks inerted or padded - Not required by IBC
- Prewash required when unloading temperature is less than 10 deg. C higher than cargo's melting point
- Prewash required when cargo's viscosity at unloading temperature is more than 50 mPa.s
- Prewash required when vessel's stripping system is not used during unloading
- Prewash required when unloaded inside “certain regional areas”. Ref. to MARPOL Annex II regulation 13.7.1.4
Tank cleaning:
- Wash cargo tanks as soon as possible after unloading. Avoid cold ballast adjacent to tanks containing residues of coconut oil. Avoid blocking of cargo piping
- Moderate to warm temperature water wash
- Hot temperature water wash
- Ambient temperature freshwater rinse (to remove sea water residues)
- If needed, re-circulate alkaline cleaner solution for an hour. (Make a short freshwater rinse before recirculation of alkaline cleaner)
- Ambient temperature freshwater rinse tank and lines
Emergency Response:
- Fire: Use foam or water spray - not water jet
- 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
- Hazards (Occupational safety etc) Avoid contact as coconut oil is handled at high temperature
- Hot surface of heating coils could cause decomposition under formation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) during unloading operations
- Attention: Always monitor CO concentration before and during tank entry - especially at tank bottom
Precautions
As the temperature during voyage is lower than the temperature required during unloading, be prepared to raise the temperature slowly before arrival to port of unloading. The temperature should not be increased with more than 5 deg. C per 24 hours. Follow heating instruction. A sudden temperature rise will increase the contents of free fatty acid (FFA) in coconut oil to an unacceptable level.
Remarks
Ship Type 2(k): Coconut oil can be carried in ship type 3 tankers according to MARPOL Annex II regulation 4.1.3. (Typical larger tankers where each cargo tank has higher capacity than 3000 m3 per tank).
Coconut oil (and some other vegetable oils) is not recommended as previous cargo when next cargo will be for example Aviation gasoline or Aviation kerosine.
Use: Food products (margarine, hydrogenated shortenings); synthetic cocoa butter; soaps; cosmetics; emulsions; cotton dyeing; synthetic detergents; source of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and methyl esters; base for laundering and cleaning preparations for soft leathers.
The BIMCO Liquid Cargo Database contains information for more than 330 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.
