# Kagan Aerospace Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 99-0176  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 1999-11-22

99-0176 response to Kagan Aerospace Corporation concerning 173.22.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

US. Department
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
of Transportation
Washington, D.C.
20590
Research and
Administration
Special Programs
NOV 2 2 1999
Mr. Gregory Maynard
Ref. No. 99-0176
Administrator, Environmental Affairs
Kaman Aerospace Corporation
Post Office Box 2
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Dear Mr. Maynard:
This is in response to your letter dated June 29, 1999, concerning the requirements for determining the
hazard class of your product under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-
180). Specifically, you ask for assistance in determining whether or not spent Alodine solution is
forbidden from transportation under §§ 173.21 or 173.24, or carries a subsidiary hazard, and whether
a motor carrier may carry the material to a hazardous waste treatment facility.
Sections 173.21(e) and 173.24(e)(4) do not apply to the mixture of hazardous materials in the
manufacturing process, they apply to separate materials packaged or stored together in transportation.
Section 177.848(c) applies to segregating packages of hazardous materials from other packages of
hazardous materials. According to your letter, you are shipping a hazardous material in an authorized
packaging, and are not packaging it or mixing it with other materials.
Regarding the subsidiary hazard for your material, it is the shipper's responsibility to class a material
and determine whether a subsidiary hazard exists under the HMR. In your letter, you state that your
material off-gasses a trace amount (0.36 mg/m' (0.33 ppm)) of hydrogen cyanide vapor. Based upon
this information, this Office agrees that your material is properly classed and does not meet the
definition for a Division 6.1 subsidiary hazard. Therefore, your product may be transported as "Waste
Corrosive Liquid, Inorganic, N.O.S. (Chromic Acid, Nitric Acid), 8, UN3264, PG IT" by an
appropriately licensed motor carrier to a waste treatment facility.
I trust this answers your question. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact this
Office.
Sincerely,
Delmer F. Billings
Chief, Standards Development
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
173,22
990176

<<<PAGE 2>>>

-
'Kaman Aerospace Corporation
P.O. Box 2
nelsory
203) 242-446
Bloomfield, CT 0600%
TELEX: 9-9326
$173.22
KAMAN
99-0176
June 29, 1999
Mr. Edward T. Mazzullo, Director
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
Department of Transportation
Research and Special Programs Administration
400 7h Street, S. W., Room 8422
Washington, DC 20590-0001
Dear Mr. Mazzullo:
Kaman Aerospace Corporation ("Kaman") is a manufacturer of aircraft and aircraft sub-
assemblies, which may be considered generically as fabricated metal products. To prevent
corrosion on aircraft parts, the surface of metal components are immersed and treated in various
acidic and/or alkaline baths. One such bath, commonly used in the industry, is called alodine.
Alodine is purchased as a powder. It is mixed with water and a small amount of nitric acid to
form an acidic solution that is 99% water, 0.75% alodine, and 0.1% nitric acid. It should be
noted that the pure alodine powder contains approximately 60% chromic acid and between 10%
and 30% potassium ferricyanide. When this solution becomes spent, it is offered for shipment
off-site.
Citing prohibitions in 49 CFR 173.21(e), 173.24(e)(4), and 177.848(c), one of our motor carrier
contractors has questioned the shipment of spent alodine solutions. Specifically, the carrier
states that this acidic solution cannot be shipped over the road because it off-gases a trace
amount (0.36 mg/m" (0.33 PPM)) of hydrogen cyanide vapor. The carrier has stated that in
addition to being a Class 8 acidic material, this waste solution may also carry a subsidiary Class
6 hazard.
Kaman's hazard classification process for this material confirms the Class 8 designation,
however, we do not believe that it carries a Class 6 subsidiary hazard, and we do not believe that
transportation of the material is prohibited by 49 CFR 173.21(e), 173.24(e)(4), or 177.848(c).
To the best of our knowledge, there is no data on human toxicity with respect to alodine
solutions. According to 49 CFR 173.132(a)(1), a material is presumed to be a Class 6, Division
6.1 material if, in the absence of adequate data on human toxicity, it falls within the categories of
oral, dermal or inhalation toxicity when tested on animals. Kaman believes that none of these
categories are applicable to the alodine solution. Specifically,
- Oral Toxicity:
This is not applicable. Based on the MSDS data for the alodine and the
composition of the solution mixture, we have estimated that the solution's LDso is greater
than 500 mg/kg.

<<<PAGE 3>>>

- Dermal Toxicity: This is also not applicable, as there is no indication in any product
literature that any of the ingredients in the solution mixture have a dermal toxicity
component.
-
Inhalation Toxicity:
Ve believe that Part B is also not applicable because the 0.33 PPM concentration of
Part A is not applicable because the solution is not a dust or a mist.
lydrogen cyanide vapors being emitted from this solution is less than one-fifth of LCso fo
500 mg/m? and death in humans can occur at concentrations of 100 mg/kg.
acute toxicity for hydrogen cyanide. According to published literature, the LCso for rats is
Based on all of the above, it is Kaman's belief that the provisions of 49 CFR 173.21(e),
173.24(e)(4), and 177.848(c) are not applicable to this material, and the spent alodine solution
does not carry the subsidiary hazard of a Class 6, Division 6.1 material. Accordingly, we have
assigned the following proper shipping name and hazard class for this material:
- "RQ Waste Corrosive Liquid, Inorganic, N.O.S. (Chromic Acid, Nitric Acid), 8, UN3264,
Based on the information provided, can you confirm the following:
1. That the provisions of 49 CFR 173.21(e), 173.24(e)(4), and 177.848(c) are not applicable to
2. That this material does not carry a subsidiary hazard, and
this material,
3. Kaman's classification is correct and a licensed motor carrier can ship the material over the
road to a hazardous waste treatment facility.
If Kaman's classification appears to be incorrect, please provide assistance in correctly
classifying this waste material.
Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the undersigned at
the letterhead address or call (860) 243-7268.
Sincerely,
Begory, Mayard
Gregory C. Maynard
Administrator, Environmental Affairs

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1999/990176.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `597569f68c52ea8e24a9c1a025fa2802e392ac68465956308726dab78dd5cec3`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T11:39:14.383Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-99-0176`

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