# The Boeing Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 00-0301
- **title:** The Boeing Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2000-11-09
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 00-0301 response to The Boeing Company concerning 173.181.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-00-0301.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-00-0301.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-00-0301
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2000/000301.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

of Transportation
U.S. Department
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Research and
Washington, D.C. 20590
Administration
Special Programs
NOV
9 2000
Mr. Fawzi Mhemedi
The Boeing Company
Ref. No: 00-0301
P.O. Box 7922
Canoga Park, CA 91309-7922
Dear Mr. Mhemedi:
This is in response to your August 15, 2000 letter and subsequent telephone conversation with
Mr. Charles Hochman of the Office of Hazardous Materials Technology, requesting clarification
on the packaging requirements for pyrophoric liquids under the Hazardous Materials Regulations
(HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you have asked if your packaging configuration
meets the requirements contained in § 173.181(b).
You correctly stated that § 173.181(b) requires "inner receptacles having positive screwcap
closures adequately gasketed". Based on our review of your design, we agree that the plug and
retainer used to secure the burst diaphragms meet the screwcap closure requirement and the 300
psig burst diaphragms meet the adequately gasketed requirement in § 173.181(b).
I trust this answers your inquiry. If you need additional assistance, do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Delmer F. Billings
Chief, Standards Development
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 2>>>

AUG-15 ØØ 13:28 FROM:
TO: 812023663012
PAGE: 01
@BUEING
JAX
B833 Canoga Ave.
The Boeing Company
LaValle
P.O. Box 7022
173.181 (6)
cangs rak Pyrophoric Materials
Date: 8/15/00
Pages: 3 (including cover sheet)
Packaging
To: CHARLES HAWKMAN
tochmar
00-030
From: FAWZI MHEMEDI
Location: DOT
Location: BOEING/ ROCKET DYNE
Fax: (202) 366-3012
Fax: (818) 586-7220
Telephone: (202) 366-4545
Telephone: (818) 586-1413
Subject: Need urgent ruling on interpretation of Title 49 CFR paragraph 173.181,
Pyrophoric materials, with regard to Boeing/Rocketdyne hypergol canisters packaging
requirements
Per your recent telecon with our packaging engineer, Diana Fairbank, we need a ruling on
whether we can ship our hypergol canisters within wooden boxes, as indicated in the
Title 49 CFR paragraph 173.181 (b). Attached are drawings showing our hypergol
canister design and the outer can packaging. The hypergol liquid (no more than 6 cubic
inches) is contained in metal canisters (inner receptacles) which have 300 psig burst
diaphragms on both ends; these diaphragms also perform the gasket function and are held
in place by a retainer on one end and by a plug on the other end, both of which are
torqued to more than 500 in-ibs. We consider these plugs/retainers to satisty the
"positive screw cap closure" requirement, but would like your ruling on whether the 300
psig burst diaphragms meet the "adequately gasketed" requirement.
"Dixie Model 24 Power Sealer",
The outer metal cans, in which the hypergol canisters are enclosed, are sealed using a
, or equivalent. Essentially, these cans are sealed like
soup cans - a can opener is needed to open them. Cushioning within the outer can and
within the wooden box would be accomplished with Vermiculite.
In summary, we would like your assessment of whether our hypergol canister design
allows us to use wooden boxes (max of 4 canisters per box) for shipment. As this
shipping query is an urgent matter for us, a quick response would be much appreciated.
-
If we can ship using wooden boxes, we would like to request approval for use of a
smaller number of test samples, as is allowed in Title 49 CFR paragraph 178.601. Drop
test validity will not be affected by performing the flat top, bottom, and side drops on the
same test sample given the configuration of our container. Relief from the number of test
containers would be a financial help in this matter.
Thanks,
Fawzi Mhemedi

<<<PAGE 3>>>

PAGE 2
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NOTE: UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIED,
1 PACKAGE PER RAZOOTE

<<<PAGE 4>>>

AUG-15 0Ø 13:29
FROM:
TO: 812023663012
PAGE: 03
--13
CAN (REF)
R80135-009 NYLON LACING AS REOD
CUSHION
1 RED ON -21
3 PEO
VERMICULITE -
LE RBO195-002 TAPE AS REDO
WRAP I REDD
-TONITER (REF HYPERGOL CANISTER
POLYETHYLENE
BAG I REOD
CUSHION 3 REDO
CAN 1 REOD
UXE SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTIBLE LABEL
1 RECO
FLAB LIQ LBL
RO171-1094-0001 LABEL
¡ REDO
-I1. -21 CAN ASSY
EXPORT CONTROLLED PER ITAR
PAGE 3
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- **body characters:** 4982
