Trade name/synonym names: Dimethylphenol, Hydroxy dimethylbenzene, Dimethyl hydroxybenzene; Xylenols, mixed isomers
Main properties:
- Highly toxic
- Brown liquid. Strong odour
- There are five isomers of Xylenol - different properties
- Melting point temperature depends on isomer but is in the range 20 - 76 deg. C
- Density 1010 kg/m3 @ 50 deg. C - density varies with isomer
IBC carriage requirements:
- IBC chapter 17
- Ship Type 2
- Tank Type 2G
- 15.12 Toxic products: require tank vent systems, separate piping- and vent systems.
- Vapour return line to shore installation.
- Heat adjacent Yes, but not to be stowed adjacent to oil fuel tanks
- Cargo tank relief valve settings shall be a minimum of 0.02 MPa gauge = 0.2 Bar
- 15.19 Overflow control
- 16.2.9 The cargo's melting point shall be indicated in the shipping document
- “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 - The cargo's melting point shall be indicated in the shipping document
Carriage requirements:
- Heating during voyage 60 deg. C - but please follow heating instruction
- Heating during unloading 65 deg. C but please check heating instructions
- Tanks inerted or padded - Not required by IBC, but shipper may require N2 blanket
Prewash required?
Prewash required when unloading temperature is less than 10 deg. C higher than the cargo's melting point. Check with shipping document
Tank cleaning:
- Hot water wash
- Wash the tank(s) as soon as possible after the tanks have been unloaded
- Hot temperature water wash
- A cleaning additive might be required when cleaning to high purity standard. Follow manufacturer of cleaning additive's instruction concerning temperature
- Rinse with hot fresh water
Emergency Response
Fire: Use foam or water spray - not water jet
Spillage: Small spills on deck will solidify when temperature is below 40 deg. C. Try to collect and transfer larger spills to spill tank. If possible, avoid spill from entering the sea, as phenol is very toxic and even small amounts of phenol will have an influence on sea creature
First aid: Obtain medical treatment immediately. Obtain advise from Radio medical
Remove victim to fresh air. Follow first aid instructions in MSDS. Rescuers shall wear full protection
Skin contact: Remove contaminated clothing
Hazards (Occupational safety etc):
- The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, through the skin and by ingestion
- Toxic by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed
- Irritating to respiratory system
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
Precautions:
- Only to be loaded under closed loading conditions
- Be prepared to clear liquid lines when a stop in loading or unloading occurs. Steam and hot water should be available at any time during the loading operation to unfreeze lines, valves or vent pipes.
- Carefully check vent lines and P/V valves for solid xylenol during all stages of the transport
- There should be no ballast water in the ballast cells adjacent to the xylenol tanks during unloading. Otherwise, the cargo temperature above the tank floor may sink to melting point before the unloading operations are completed and xylenol may solidify and block the pumps
Remarks:
Xylenol may come in several different grades with different specifications and heating instructions
Please carefully check cargo specifications
Use:
Disinfectants, solvents, pharmaceuticals, insecticides and fungicides, plasticizers, rubber chemicals, additives to lubricants and gasolines, manufacture of polyphenylene oxide wetting agents, dyestuffs
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.
