Transportation of bulk chemicals

If practicable, a site should be selected that is close to at least two major forms of transport road, rail, waterway (canal or river), or a sea port. Road transport is being increasingly used, and is suitable for local distribution from a central warehouse. Rail transport will be cheaper for the long-distance transport of bulk chemicals. 

Flynn, J. P. and Morrisette, M. D., "Development of a Compatibility Guide for the Water Transport of Bulk Chemical Cargoes", Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 1, No. 4. 

Transportation, of Bulk Chemicals, of Large Process Equipment... 

Waterborne Transport. Despite natural limitations, the transportation of chemicals by water has enjoyed substantial growth, especially siace the ead of World War 11. Assisted by governmental developmeat of the inland waterways system, including locks and other navigational aids, water carriers transport large quantities of bulk chemicals in barges between inland ports or between such ports and coastal ports. In addition, bulk chemicals ate transported by self-propelled tank vessels between U.S. coastal points, and between U.S. ports and overseas destinations. In 1989, 56.1 million metric tons (61.9 million short tons) of chemicals were transported in the U.S. domestic waterborne commerce (16). 

Originally confined to the shipment of crude raw materials and fuels, the term transportation of bulk sohds now apphes also to manufactured produc ts, which often become raw materials for other industries. In recent years, increasing tonnages of highly processed, finished chemical products have moved to customers in large bulk units. A useful definition of a bulk shipment is any unit greater than 2000 kg (4000 lb) or 2 m (70 fF). The containers available range from small portable hoppers of 2-m (70-fF) capacity to railroad cars of 255-m (9000-fF) capacity. 

Volatilization. Transfer of chemicals across the air/water interface can result in either a net gain or loss of chemical, although in many cases the bulk concentration in the air above a contaminated water body is low enough to be neglected (20). When the atmosphere is the primary source of the contaminant, as for example polychlorinated biphenyls in some parts of the Laurentian Great Lakes, atmospheric concentrations obviously cannot be neglected. The Whitman two-film or two-resistance approach (21) has been applied to a number of environmental situations (20, 22, 23). Transport across the air/water interface is viewed as a two-stage process, in which both phases of the interface can offer resistance to transport of the chemical. The rate of transfer depends on turbulence in the water body and in the atmosphere, the... 

Logical Structures. When a synthetic organic chemical is released into an aquatic system, the entire array of transport, transfer, and transformation processes begins at once to act on the chemical. Transport from the point of entry into the bulk of the system takes place by advection and by turbulent dispersion. Transfers to sorbed forms and irreversible transformation processes proceed simultaneously with the transport of the chemical. After the elapse of sufficient time, the chemical comes to be distributed throughout the system, with relatively smooth concentration gradients resulting from dilution, speciation, and... 

It is desirable to calculate new bulk phase Z values for the four primary media which include the contribution of dispersed phases within each medium as described by Mackay and Paterson (1991) and as listed earlier. The air is now treated as an air-aerosol mixture, water as water plus suspended particles and fish, soil as solids, air and water, and sediment as solids and porewater. The Z values thus differ from the Level I and Level II pure phase values. The necessity of introducing this complication arises from the fact that much of the intermedia transport of the chemicals occurs in association with the movement of chemical in these dispersed phases. To accommodate this change the same volumes of the soil solids and sediment solids are retained, but the total phase volumes are increased. These Level III volumes are also given in Table 1.5.2. The reaction and advection D values employ the generally smaller bulk phase Z values but the same residence times thus the G values are increased and the D values are generally larger. 

Vapor (Gas) Irritant Characteristics — Since MSDSs often provide non-qualifying statements, the most appropriate of five statements listed below is given. (Source National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Hazardous Materials, "Evaluation of the Hazard of Bulk Water Transportation of Industrial Chemicals, A Tentative Guide," Washington, D.C., 1970.)... 

Built-up metal containers are used for the storage and transport of a wide range of bulk chemicals, e.g. dry powders and liquid. Although the heavier gauges of tinplate can be used for containers of up to about 5 gallons capacity, from this size upwards steel is invariably used. 

Based on this finding, it was recommended that a new corporate standard be developed and implemented for the other operating regions. Specifically, XYZ Chemical made the decision to apply the practices of the United States and Europe for the transport of bulk chloriue. These practices iuclude carrier requirements for tank car specifications, emergency response, and routing consideration. In some cases, these practices are more stringent than the country-spedfic requirements for these regions. 

From Chlorine Gas to Bleach Generated On-Site The Center for American Progress (CAP) study found a dozen facilities that now treat water by generating bleach disinfectant on-site. This practice eliminates bulk storage and transportation of hazardous chemicals. The process uses salt, water, and electricity to produce a dilute bleach solution. Survey respondents noted that this dilute solution is even safer than the stronger bleach that many utilities receive by truck or rail. 

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