Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 26, 2024

Title 46 - Shipping last revised: Nov 04, 2024
§ 154.1700 - Purpose.

This subpart prescribes design and operating requirements that are unique for certain cargoes regulated by this part.

§ 154.1702 - Materials of construction.

When Table 4 references one of the following paragraphs in this section, the materials in the referenced paragraph must not be in components that contact the cargo liquid or vapor:

(a) Aluminum and aluminum bearing alloys.

(b) Copper and copper bearing alloys.

(c) Zinc or galvanized steel.

(d) Magnesium.

(e) Mercury.

(f) Acetylide forming materials, such as copper, silver, and mercury.

§ 154.1705 - Independent tank type C.

The following cargoes must be carried in an independent tank type C that meets § 154.701(a):

(a) Ethylene oxide.

(b) Methyl bromide.

(c) Sulfur dioxide.

§ 154.1710 - Exclusion of air from cargo tank vapor spaces.

When a vessel is carrying acetaldehyde, butadiene, ethylene oxide, or vinyl chloride, the master shall ensure that air is:

(a) Purged from the cargo tanks and associated piping before the cargo is loaded; and

(b) Excluded after the cargo is loaded by maintaining a positive pressure of at least 13.8 kPa gauge (2 psig) by:

(1) Introducing a gas that:

(i) Is not reactive;

(ii) Is not flammable; and

(iii) Does not contain more than 0.2% oxygen by volume; or

(2) Controlling the cargo temperature.

§ 154.1715 - Moisture control.

When a vessel is carrying sulfur dioxide, the master shall ensure that:

(a) A cargo tank is dry before it is loaded with sulfur dioxide; and

(b) Air or inert gas admitted into a cargo tank carrying sulfur dioxide during discharging or tank breathing has a moisture content equal to or less than the moisture content of air with a dew point of −45 °C (−49 °F) at atmospheric pressure.

[CGD 74-289, 44 FR 26009, May 3, 1979, as amended by USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58285, Sept. 29, 2014]
§ 154.1720 - Indirect refrigeration.

A refrigeration system that is used to cool acetaldehyde, ethylene oxide, or methyl bromide, must be an indirect refrigeration system that does not use vapor compression.

§ 154.1725 - Ethylene oxide.

(a) A vessel carrying ethylene oxide must:

(1) Have cargo piping, vent piping, and refrigeration equipment that have no connections to other systems;

(2) Have valves, flanges, fittings, and accessory equipment made of steel, stainless steel, except types 416 and 442, or other material specially approved by the Commandant (CG-OES);

(3) Have valve disk faces, and other wearing parts of valves made of stainless steel containing not less than 11% chromium;

(4) Have gaskets constructed of spirally wound stainless steel with Teflon or other material specially approved by the Commandant (CG-OES);

(5) Not have asbestos, rubber, or cast iron components in the cargo containment system and piping;

(6) Not have threaded joints in cargo piping;

(7) Have a water spray system under § 154.1105 that protects the above deck cargo piping; and

(8) Have a nitrogen inerting system or on board nitrogen gas storage that can inert the vapor space of an ethylene oxide cargo tank for a period of 30 days under the condition of paragraph (e) of this section.

(b) Cargo hose used for ethylene oxide must:

(1) Be specially approved by the Commandant (CG-OES); and

(2) Be marked “For (Alkylene or Ethylene) Oxide Transfer Only.”

(c) Ethylene oxide must be maintained at less than 30 °C (86 °F).

(d) Cargo tank relief valves for tanks containing ethylene oxide must be set at 539 kPa gauge (78.2 psig) or higher.

(e) The vapor space of a cargo tank carrying ethylene oxide must be maintained at a nitrogen concentration of 45% by volume.

(f) A vessel must have a method for jettisoning ethylene oxide that meets §§ 154.356 and 154.1872.

[CGD 74-289, 44 FR 26009, May 3, 1979, as amended by CGD 82-063b, 48 FR 4782, Feb. 3, 1983; USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58285, Sept. 29, 2014]
§ 154.1730 - Ethylene oxide: Loading and off loading.

(a) The master shall ensure that before ethylene oxide is loaded into a cargo tank:

(1) The tank is thoroughly clean, dry, and free of rust;

(2) The hold spaces are inerted with an inert gas that meets § 154.1710(b)(1); and

(3) The cargo tank vapor space is inerted with nitrogen.

(b) Ethylene oxide must be off loaded by a deepwell pump or inert gas displacement.

(c) Ethylene oxide must not be carried in deck tanks.

§ 154.1735 - Methyl acetylene-propadiene mixture.

(a) The composition of the methyl acetylene-propadiene mixture at loading must be within the following limits or specially approved by the Commandant (CG-OES):

(1) One composition is:

(i) Maximum methyl acetylene and propadiene molar ratio of 3 to 1;

(ii) Maximum combined concentration of methyl acetylene and propadiene of 65 mole percent;

(iii) Minimum combined concentration of propane, butane, and isobutane of 24 mole percent, of which at least one-third (on a molar basis) must be butanes and one-third propane; and

(iv) Maximum combined concentration of propylene and butadiene of 10 mole percent.

(2) A second composition is:

(i) Maximum methyl acetylene and propadiene combined concentration of 30 mole percent;

(ii) Maximum methyl acetylene concentration of 20 mole percent;

(iii) Maximum propadiene concentration of 20 mole percent;

(iv) Maximum propylene concentration of 45 mole percent;

(v) Maximum butadiene and butylenes combined concentration of 2 mole percent;

(vi) A minimum saturated C 4 hydrocarbon concentration of 4 mole percent; and

(vii) A minimum propane concentration of 25 mole percent.

(b) A vessel carrying a methyl acetylene-propadiene mixture must have a refrigeration system without vapor compression or have a refrigeration system with the following features:

(1) A vapor compressor that does not raise the temperature and pressure of the vapor above 60 °C (140 °F) and 1.72 MPa gauge (250 psig) during its operation and that does not allow vapor to stagnate in the compressor while it continues to run.

(2) Discharge piping from each compressor stage or each cylinder in the same stage of a reciprocating compressor that has:

(i) Two temperature actuated shutdown switches set to operate at 60 °C (140 °F) or less;

(ii) A pressure actuated shutdown switch set to operate at 1.72 MPa gauge (250 psig) or less; and

(iii) A safety relief valve set to relieve at 1.77 MPa gauge (256 psig) or less.

(3) A relief valve that vents to a mast meeting § 154.805 and that does not relieve into the compressor suction line.

(4) An alarm that sounds in the cargo control station and in the wheelhouse when any of the high pressure or high temperature switches under paragraphs (b)(2)(i) and (b)(2)(ii) of this section operate.

(c) A vessel carrying a methyl acetylene-propadiene mixture must have separate cargo piping, vent piping, and refrigeration equipment for methyl acetylene-propadiene that are segregated from other cargo piping, vent piping and refrigeration equipment on the vessel.

[CGD 74-289, 44 FR 26009, May 3, 1979; 44 FR 59234, Oct. 15, 1979; CGD 82-063b, 48 FR 4782, Feb. 3, 1983]
§ 154.1740 - Vinyl chloride: Inhibiting and inerting.

When a vessel is carrying vinyl chloride, the master shall ensure that:

(a) Section 154.1818 is met; or

(b) Section 154.1710 is met, and the oxygen content of inert gas is less than 0.1% by volume.

§ 154.1745 - Vinyl chloride: Transferring operations.

A vessel carrying vinyl chloride must meet the requirements of § 151.50-34(g) through (k) of this chapter.

[CGD 95-012, 60 FR 48051, Sept. 18, 1995]
§ 154.1750 - Butadiene or vinyl chloride: Refrigeration system.

A refrigeration system for butadiene or vinyl chloride must not use vapor compression unless it:

(a) Avoids any stagnation points where uninhibited liquid can accumulate; or

(b) Has inhibited liquid from the cargo tank added to the vapor upstream of the condenser.

§ 154.1755 - Nitrogen.

Except for deck tanks and their piping systems, cargo containment systems and piping systems carrying nitrogen must be specially approved by the Commandant (CG-OES).

[CGD 74-289, 44 FR 26009, May 3, 1979, as amended by CGD 82-063b, 48 FR 4782, Feb. 3, 1983]
§ 154.1760 - Liquid ammonia.

The master shall ensure that no person sprays liquid ammonia into a cargo tank containing more than 8% oxygen by volume.

authority: 46 U.S.C. 3703,9101; Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1
source: CGD 74-289, 44 FR 26009, May 3, 1979, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 46 CFR 154.1735