Section 5 Assignment of mixtures of assessed chemicals with no safety hazard

  5.1 This section deals with the mixtures defined in 3.1.2, i.e. those presenting no safety hazard and containing at least 97% by weight of chemicals (or "families" in the case of complex petrochemical mixtures) assessed by IMO, which present no safety hazards. Chemicals assessed by IMO include:

• .1 those listed in chapters 17 and 18 of the IBC Code;

• .2 agreed and proposed amendments to these chapters;

• .3 hydrocarbon families, for the purpose of assessing complex petrochemical mixtures of hydrocarbons (see annex 8).

Such a mixture may contain components with safety hazards (designated by S or S/P in column d of the summary of minimum requirements table) as long as they are so diluted that the final mixture presents no safety hazard.

  5.2 The pollution category and the ship type of these mixtures are derived from those of the components by the following calculation method. For the purpose of this calculation, unassessed components up to 3% should be assigned to pollution category A, ship type 2, unless they can be evaluated on the basis of GESAMP hazard profiles, data or assimilation.

  5.3 The first step is to calculate the pollution category of the mixture by the following procedure:

• .1 identify the pollution category of each component from the IBC Code or the MEPC circular referred to in 2.6;

• .2 multiply the concentration of each identified component in the mixture, expressed in per cent by weight, by the factor associated with its pollution category according to the following table 1:

  Table 1
  Pollution category	Factor
  A	1,000
  B	100
  C	10
  D	1
  Appendix III	0
  Diluent mineral oil
  in lube oil additives*	10
  * Most lube oil additive components are produced in mineral oil and have been assessed as produced. Sometimes more mineral oil is added to a mixture to make it pumpable. This is called diluent mineral oil.

• .3 add the resultant multiples to obtain the value S_p ;

• .4 refer to the left-hand column of the flow chart for determining pollution categories and identify the row that corresponds to the value of S_p ;

• .5 read across this row, answering the relevant questions in the middle column, to determine the pollution category of the mixture, as shown in the right-hand column.

  5.4 Mixtures may contain aqueous solutions assessed only within certain concentration limits. For the purpose of the calculation in 5.3, the solution should be assumed to be at the highest assessed concentration.

  5.5 If the pollution category of the mixture is either A or B or C, the next step is to calculate its ship type, by the following procedure:

• .1 identify the ship type of each component from the IBC Code or the MEPC circular referred to in 2.6;

• .2 multiply the concentration of each component in the mixture, expressed in per cent by weight, by the factor associated to its ship type according to the following table 2;

  Table 2
  Ship type	Factor
  1	100
  2	10
  3	1
  Other	0
  Diluent mineral oil
  in lube oil additives	1

• .3 add the resultant multiples to obtain the value S_s ;

• .4 refer to the left-hand column of the flow chart for determining ship types and identify the row that corresponds to the value of S_s ;

• .5 read across this row, answering the relevant questions in the middle column, to determine the ship type for the mixture, as shown in the right-hand column.

  5.6 Examples of the calculation of the pollution category and the ship type of mixtures are given in annex 9.

  5.7 On the basis of the pollution category and ship type so calculated and of its flashpoint, melting point and viscosity, a mixture is then assigned to the appropriate “Noxious (or non-noxious) liquid, n.o.s.” generic entry to the IBC Code with the corresponding carriage requirements.

  5.8 A Mixture is designated in the shipping document by reference to the appropriate generic entry to the IBC Code, completed by the indication of a trade name and of one or two components most responsible for the assigned pollution category. Trade names should not be such as to be confused with generally used chemical descriptions. Components should be identified by their name in either the IBC Code or the MEPC circular referred to in 2.6.

  5.9 With reference to 5.3.5, the diluent mineral oil could be responsible for pollution category C being assigned to a lube oil additive mixture. In this case, the designation of the mixture should include the mention "contains mineral oil".

  5.10 The process of assigning a pollutant-only mixture of assessed components to one of the 18 generic entries to the IBC Code is of a purely mechanical nature and does not involve any assessment whatsoever. In the interest of facilitating shipments, the Administration may authorize the manufacturer to carry out the assignment on its behalf.

  5.11 In this case, the obligation to inform the flag States and the receiving countries of the performed assignment falls on the delegated manufacturer. The manufacturer should also inform IMO if so requested by the authorizing Administration. Notification of the assignment by the manufacturer should be accompanied by the authorization letter indicating that the manufacturer acts under instruction and on behalf of the Administration until such authorization is recorded in the MEPC circular referred to in 2.8 above.

  5.12 The manufacturer should inform the authorizing Administration of the assignment performed along with the details of the assignment. Upon request, the manufacturer should also provide the flag State and/or the receiving country with details of the mixture assignment.