# Evonik Degussa Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 08-0291  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2009-02-11

08-0291 response to Evonik Degussa Corporation concerning 172.101, 173.2.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
FEB 1 1 2009
Mr. John Foglio
Manager, Hazardous Materials
Transportation Safety
Evonik Degussa Corporation
379 Interpace Parkway
P.O. Box 677
Parsippany, NJ 07054-0677
Reference No. 08-0291
Dear Mr. Foglio:
This is in response to your November 20,2008 letter concerning the most appropriate proper
shipping name for a material that meets the definition of a Packing Group I1 flammable liquid
(Class 3), Packing Group I1 corrosive (Class 8), and Packing Group I11 poisonous (toxic,
Division 6.1) liquid under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-
180). You state your supplier describes the material as "UN 2924, Flammable liquids,
corrosive, n.0.s. (Hexamethyldisilazane), 3, 8, 6.1, PG 11." You state the Hazardous Materials
Table entry for the UN 2924 description and the corresponding emergency response
information do not include safety information on toxic materials. You ask if "LN 3286,
Flammable liquid, toxic, corrosive, n.0.s. (Hexamethyldisilazane), 3,6.1, 8, PC 11" is the
more appropriate proper shipping description for this material.
If a material meets the definition of more than one hazard class and is not specifically
identified by name in the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT; 5 172.101), then
5 172.101(~)(12)(iii) states the hazard class of the material must be determined using the
precedence criteria specified in 5 173.2a7 and a proper shipping name must be selected,
according to the methods prescribed in 9 172.101(~)(12)(ii), that most appropriately describes
the material. To properly class a mixture containing hazardous components, you must
analyze and test the entire mixture to determine its hazard class and, if applicable, any
subsidiary hazards. Please note that a mixture may or may not exhibit the hazards of one or
all of its components. It is the shipper's responsibility to properly classify a hazardous
material and assign it a proper shipping name from the Hazardous Material Table (HMT;
5 172.101). See 5 173.22.
Based on the information you provided about the mixture and the precedence criteria
prescribed in 5 173.2a7 the Class 3-Packing Group I1 takes precedence, followed by Class 8-
Packing Group 11, and then Division 6.1-Packing Group 111. In addition, this material is
assigned a PG I1 in accordance with Note 1 of paragraph (b) of 5 173.2a which states the most

<<<PAGE 2>>>

stringent packing group assigned to any of the hazards a material exhibits will take
precedence. Therefore, it is the opinion of this Office the proper shipping description "UN
2924, Flammable liquids, corrosive, n.0.s." does not accurately identify the toxic hazard of the
material, and the description "UN 3286, Flammable liquid, toxic, corrosive, n.0.s.
(Hexamethyldisilazane), 3, 6.1, 8, PG 11" is more appropriate. See 5 1 72.10 1 (c)(12).
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
Hattie L. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 3>>>

w -
I N D U S T R I E S
November 20, 2008
Ob* "' EVONIK OECUIIA CORPORATION
Associate Administrator for
379 lnter~ace Parkwav
- ~
Hazardous Materials Safety P.O. BOX 677
Parsippany, NJ 07054-0677
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administratio11 w . e v o n i k . c o m
Attention: Office of Hazardous Materials Standards (PHH-10) Phone + 1 973-541 -8042
Fax +1 973-541-8040
Department of Transportation John.foglio@evonik.com
East Building
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE.
Washington, DC 20590-0001
Re: Classification
Dear Mr. Edward Mazzullo,
We purchase a substance and subsequently offer it for
transportation. It is shipped to us as UN 2924, Flammable
Liquid, Corrosive, n.o.s., 3 (8) 6.1 , PC II,
(~exameth~ldisilazane). Note that 6.1 is mentioned as a
subsidiary hazard. We do not agree with'the classification of
our supplier since the material is toxic, (6.1, PG Ill) in
addition to being flammable iiquid (3, PC I I ) and corrosive (8,
PG I!). We feel that the entry UN 3286, Flammable Liquid,
Toxic, Corrosive is more appropriate because this entry
refers to a schedule in the E/R Guide that warns for tbxicity.
The schedule for UN 2924 makes no mention aboutaioxicity.
We approached our supplier and we were told that the
hazard of corrosive takes precedence over toxic because
class 8, PC; II is more dangerous than division 6.5, PG Ill.
Therefore, thev cannot use an entry that puts the word toxic
before corrosive.. We agree that corrosive PG II takes
precedence over toxic, PG Ill but we think that UN 3286 can
be used. We were told that they cannot not change their
classification unless DOT inserts a new entry for Flammable
Liquid, Cosrosive, Toxic, n.0.s. vs. the current one that puts
Toxic before Corrosive.
I
. I
. ,
Page 1 of 2

<<<PAGE 4>>>

w I N D U S T R I E S
We always like to use the same classification of the
manufacturer but under the circumstances we think it is
dangerous to use UN 2924 because of the lack of E/R
procedures for toxicity. The manufacturer feels that nothing
needs to be changed because they put a toxic label on the
drums. We feel that the UN number and proper shipping
name are of utmost importance when there is a spill.
Should the classification for a substance which is flammable
liquid in PC II, corrosive liquid, PC II and toxic liquid, PC Ill
be UN 2924, Flammable Liquid, Corrosive, n.0.s. 3, (8), (6.1)
PG II or UN 3286, Flammable Liquid, Toxic, Corrosive, n.o.s.,
PC I I ?
We want to make sure that our interpretation is correct and
the order of the subsidiary hazards in the proper shipping
name is not as irr~portant as not mentioning one hazard
(toxic) at all in the proper shipping name. We thank you in
advance for your much needed assistance.
Sincerely,
John Foglio
Manager Hazardous Materials
Transportation Safety
Page 2 of 2

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080291.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `1c17af9c68d4e149984822f1d1b07af4b72a388dd0077c90b61e0b15816042f3`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T13:50:47.145Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-08-0291`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "materialSubtype": "interpretation",
  "interpretationArea": "hazardous_materials",
  "representation": "full_text_from_official_pdf",
  "companies": [
    "Evonik Degussa Corporation"
  ],
  "individuals": [
    "Mr. John Foglio"
  ],
  "refIds": [
    "08-0291"
  ],
  "catalogDates": [
    "2009-02-11"
  ],
  "catalogParts": [
    172,
    173
  ],
  "catalogRowCount": 2,
  "sourceRecordUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/node/45631"
  ],
  "linkedAttachmentUrls": [],
  "unavailableResponseUrls": [],
  "duplicateRepresentationUrls": [],
  "citedSections": [
    "172.101",
    "173.2",
    "173.22",
    "173.2a"
  ],
  "catalogPageUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/172101",
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/1732"
  ],
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080291.pdf"
  ],
  "representations": [
    {
      "viewUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080291.pdf",
      "detailUrl": null,
      "detailHtmlPath": null,
      "pdfUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080291.pdf",
      "pdfArtifactPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/08-0291-bf583e54c1.pdf",
      "pdfArtifactSha256": "e910ca38d24f2016589c2706a245bc24c2b97e4ca8a547e7637705158d3e6231",
      "extractedTextPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/08-0291-bf583e54c1.v2.txt",
      "extractedTextSha256": "41ae62731fe6f6f1921d86198fda22e2039a17856573f6f2b06d3f70046e463e",
      "pageCount": 4,
      "extractionVersion": 2
    }
  ],
  "caveat": "Interpretations apply regulations to the facts presented and do not create independently enforceable requirements.",
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```
