# Use of Specification IM portable tanks.

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 49 CFR 173.32c
- **title:** Use of Specification IM portable tanks.
- **source type:** regulation
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** Not available
- **effective on:** 2000-10-01
- **summary:** (a) No person may offer a hazardous material for transportation in an IM portable tank except as authorized by this subchapter.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subpart, an IM portable tank may not be used for the transportation of a hazardous material unless it meets the requirements of th
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- **source url:** https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2000-title49-vol2/CFR-2000-title49-vol2-sec173-32c
**body:**

(a) No person may offer a hazardous material for transportation in an IM portable tank except as authorized by this subchapter.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subpart, an IM portable tank may not be used for the transportation of a hazardous material unless it meets the requirements of this subchapter.

(c) An IM portable tank for which the prescribed periodic retest or reinspection under § 173.32b of this subchapter has become due may not be filled and offered for shipment until the retest or reinspection has been successfully completed. This paragraph does not apply to any tank filled prior to the test due date.

(d) Prior to filling, each IM portable tank shall be given a complete external inspection. Any unsafe condition must be corrected prior to its use. The external inspection shall include:

(1) A visual inspection of:

(i) The shell, piping, valves and other appurtenances for corroded areas, dents, defects in welds and other defects such as missing, damaged, or leaking gaskets;

(ii) All flanged connections or blank flanges for missing or loose nuts and bolts;

(iii) All emergency devices for corrosion, distortion, or any damage or defect that could prevent their normal operation; and

(iv) All required markings on the tank for legibility.

(2) An inspection to determine that any device for tightening manhole covers is operative and adequate to prevent leakage at the manhole cover.

(e) A hazardous material may not be loaded in an IM portable tank if the part of the tank or any of its appurtenances having contact with the material during transportation would be subject to destructive attack by or a dangerous reaction with the material.

(f) A hazardous material may not be loaded in an IM portable tank unless it has pressure relief devices providing total relieving capacity meeting the requirements of § 178.270-11(d) of this subchapter.

(g) A hazardous material may not be loaded in an IM portable tank with filling or discharge connections located below the normal liquid level of the tank unless:

(1) Each filling or discharge connection located below the normal liquid level of the tank has at least two serially-mounted closures consisting of an internal discharge valve and a bolted blank flange or other suitable, liquid-tight closure on each filling or discharge connection; or

(2) When this paragraph (g)(2) is specified for a hazardous material through § 172.102(c)(7) of this subchapter, each filling or discharge connection located below the normal liquid level of the tank, or compartment thereof, has three serially-mounted closures consisting of an internal discharge valve capable of being closed from a location remote from the valve itself, an external valve, and a bolted blank flange or other suitable, liquid-tight closure on the outlet side of the external valve.

(h) Except during a hydrostatic test, an IM portable tank may not be subjected to a pressure greater than its maximum allowable working pressure.

(i) An IM portable tank may not be loaded to a gross weight greater than the maximum allowable gross weight specified on its identification plate.

(j) Except for a non-flowable solid or a liquid with a viscosity of 2,680 centistokes (millimeters squared per second) or greater at 20°C, an IM portable tank or compartment thereof having a volume greater than 7,500 L (1,980 gallons) may not be loaded to a filling density of more than 20% and less than 80% by volume. If a portable tank is divided by partitions or surge plates into compartments of not more than 7,500 L capacity, this filling restriction does not apply.

(k) The outage for an IM portable tank may not be less than 2 percent at a temperature of 122 °F (50 °C).

(l) Each tell-tale indicator for the space between a frangible disc and a safety relief valve mounted in series must be checked after the tank is filled and prior to transportation to ensure that the frangible disc is leak free. Any leakage through the frangible disc must be corrected prior to offering the tank for transportation. The tell-tale device must be designed to prevent the loss of any hazardous material through the device itself while the tank is in transportation.

(m) An IM portable tank containing a hazardous material may not be loaded on a highway or rail transport vehicle unless loaded entirely within the horizontal outline thereof, without overhang or projection of any part of the tank assembly. In addition, for unloading an IM portable tank, see § 177.834(h) of this subchapter.

(n) Specifications IM 101 and IM 102 portable tanks used for the transportation of flammable liquids via rail may not be fitted with nonreclosing pressure relief devices except in series with spring loaded pressure relief valves.

(o) An IM 101 tank may be used whenever an IM 102 tank is authorized provided it meets the requirements for pressure relief devices, bottom outlets and any other special provisions specified for the IM 102 tank in § 172.102 of this subchapter.

(p) Any IM 101 or IM 102 portable tank certified by an approval agency prior to January 1, 1992, that is equipped with a non-reclosable pressure relief device may continue in service for the commodities for which it is authorized. Any IM 101 and IM 102 portable tank certified after January 1, 1992, used for materials meeting the definition for Division 6.1 liquids, Packing Group I or II, or Class 3 or 4 liquids, must be equipped with a reclosing pressure relief valve having adequately-sized venting capacity.

(q) If the hazardous material being transported is in a molten state, the tank must be thermally insulated by completely covering it with at least 100 mm (3.94 inches) of cork or other suitable insulation material of sufficient thickness that the overall thermal conductance is not more than 0.080 Btu per hour per square foot per degree Fahrenheit differential.

(r) Hazardous materials authorized for transport in a tank fitted with bottom outlets having two serially mounted closures are also authorized for transport in a tank fitted with three serially mounted closures and in tanks fitted with no bottom outlets. Similarly, hazardous materials authorized for transport in tanks fitted with bottom outlets having three serially mounted closures are also authorized for transport in tanks fitted with no bottom outlets.

[Amdt. 173-144, 46 FR 9892, Jan. 29, 1981, as amended by Amdt. 173-224, 55 FR 52616 Dec. 21, 1990; 56 FR 66266, Dec. 20, 1991; 57 FR 45460, 45461, Oct. 1, 1992; Amdt. 173-261, 62 FR 24719, May 6, 1997; 63 FR 37461, July 10, 1998; 64 FR 10777, Mar. 5, 1999; 64 FR 44428, Aug. 16, 1999]
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