{"operation":"document","citation":"17-0129","title":"United Brands — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2018-02-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"17-0129 response to United Brands concerning 173.301, 173.304a, 173.304b.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0129.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0129.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0129","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/57331/170129.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nFEB 0 5 2018\nJimmy Zahriya\nChief Executive Officer\nUnited Brands\n170 Associated Road\nSouth San Francisco, CA 94080\nReference No. 17-0129\nDear Mr. Zahriya:\nThis· letter is in response to your November 27, 2017, letter and follow-up email requesting\nclarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable\nto pressure relief device (PRD) requirements for U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 2P or\n2Q containers filled with butane.\nWe have paraphrased and answered your questions as follows:\nQ 1. You state that your company complies with § 173 .304b for use of DOT 2P and 2Q\ncontainers for the transportation of butane.\nA 1. This understanding of applicability is incorrect. Section 173 .304b applies to the use of\nUN pressure receptacles, not DOT specification packagings. DOT 2P and 2Q containers\nare DOT specification containers; therefore, § 173.304a applies.\nQ2. You ask if DOT 2P and 2Q containers filled with liquefied butane at a pressure less than\n32 psig at 70 °F and 81 psig at 130 °F must be equipped with a PRD.\nA2. The answer is no. DOT 2P and 2Q containers are considered inner non-refillable metal\nreceptacles, not cylinders; therefore, the pressure relief requirements and exceptions\nfound in§ 173.301(±) do not apply. DOT 2P and 2Q containers are authorized for\nliquefied petroleum gases (LPG), such as butane, under the provisions of\n§ 173.304a(d)(3)(ii). Provided the maximum capacity of the receptacle does not exceed\n31.83 cubic inches and the maximum filling pressure does not exceed 35 psig at 70 °F\nand 100 psig at 130 °F, no PRD is required for a DOT 2P or 2Q container filled with\nLPG.\nNote that & DOT 2P or 2Q container filled with LPG with pressures exceeding 35 psig\nbut not exceeding 45 psig at 70 °F and exceeding 100 psig but not exceeding 105 psig at\n130 °F must have a PRD in accordance with§ 173.304a(d)(3)(ii) Note 2.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nQ3. A3. You ask whether the dispensing port at the top of the DOT 2P or 2Q container, which is\ndesigned to allow the contents to flow out when actuated mechanically in the normal use\nof the device, is a PRD.\nYour incoming letter has not provided enough information about the manual dispensing\nport to make this determination. However, as discussed in Question Q2, a PRD is not\nrequired in the sc. enario you described.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely. , . . A. ..· · ··;/ / /\n~~~\n~~~·\nChief, Standards Development Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nunited brands li1\nPcxtWJc\n~ 1'l 2>, 3Dc/\nC, rcJ_LJu::)\nt1-0 1 a9\nMr. Shane Kelley\nActing Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division\nU.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor\nWashington, DC 20590\nDear Mr. Kelley:\nUnited Brands ships butane in small specification 2P cylinders for use in heating devices. During recent\ninspection of our facility, the DOT inspector commented that the dispensing port on top of butane canisters\nmight be considered a pressure relief device. United Brands ships butane in canisters incompliance with\n§ 173.304 Filling of cylinders with liquefied compressed gases.\n§ 173.304b Additional requirements for shipment of liquefied compressed gases in UN pressure\nreceptacles.\nThe latter regulation states~\n§ 173.304b (a}General. Liquefied gases and gas mixtures must be offered for transportation in UN\npressure receptacles subject to the requirements in this section and§ 173.304. In addition, the general\nrequirements applicable to UN pressure receptacles in§§ 173.301 and 173.301b must be met.\nFor butane shipped in 2P packaging, \"49 CFR Section§ 173.301 General requirements for shipment of\ncompressed gases and other hazardous materials in cylinders, UN pressure receptacles and spherical pressure\nvessels\" states:\n§ 173.301 (/)Pressure relief device systems.\n(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (/)(5) through (/)(7) and OJ of this section, and§ 171.23(a) of this\nsubchapter, a cylinder filled with a gas and offered for transportation must be equipped with one or more\npressure relief devices sized and selected as to type, location, and quantity, and tested in accordance with\nCGA S-1.1 (compliance with paragraph 9.1.1.1 is not required) and CGA Pamphlet S-7 (JBR, see § 171. 7\nof this subchapter ). The pressure relief device must be capable of preventing rupture of the normally filled\ncylinder when subjected to afire test conducted in accordance with CGA C-14 (JBR, see§ 171. 7 of this\nsubchapter), or, in the case of an acetylene cylinder, CGA C-12 (JBR, see§ 171. 7 of this subchapter).\n(5) A pressure relief device is not required on -\n(i) A cylinder 305 mm (12 inches) or less in length, exclusive of neck, and 114 mm ( 4. 5 inches) or less in\noutside diameter, except when the cylinder is filled with a liquefied gas for which this part requires a\nservice pressure of 1800 psig or higher or a nonliquefied gas to a pressure of 1800 psig or higher at 21\n°C (70 °F);\nThe Compressed Gas Association definitions note that a pressure relief valve is a type of pressure relief device\ndesigned to relieve excessive pressure and to reclose and reseal to prevent further flow of gas or fluid from the\ncylinder.\nCGA S 1-1 provides the requirements for various pressure relief devices including\n• a rupture disk device,\nUnited Brands I 170 Associated Road I South San Francisco. CA 94080 I 800 500 0583 I www.un1tedbrands.us\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nunited brands liJ\n• a fusible plug.\n• one of a variety of combination rupture-disk/fusible-plug devices,\n• a pressure relief valve\n• A pressure cycling relief valve capable of activating and reseating/resealing multiple times,\n• A single pressure relief device combining the general characteristics of a fusible trigger device and a\npressure cycling relief valve activated by either temperature or pressure.\nA pressure relief device is defined as a pressure and/or temperature activated device used to prevent the\npressure in a normally charged cylinder form rising above a predetermined maximum, thereby prevent rupture\nof the cylinder when subjected to a standard fire test as required by 49 CFR 173.34(d). It is synonymous with\n\"safety relief devices\".\nQuestion #1: Is it required for packaging of liquefied butane in specification 2P and 2Q cylinders with length\nless than 10 inches and diameter less than 2 inches, and with liquefied butane at pressures less than 32 psig to\nbe equipped with a pressure relief devices?\nQuestion #2: Each butane cylinder has a fluid/gas delivery port at the top that is designed to allow the\ncontents to flow out when actuated mechanically in normal use in devices designed for use of butane fuel. Is\nthat port considered a pressure relief device?\nThank you in advance for your response.\nSincerely,\nJimmy Zahriya\nCEO\nUnited Brands\nUnited Brands I 170 Associated Road I South San Francisco, CA 94080 I 800 500 0583 I www.un1tedbrands .us\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nSUN\nTAEYANG\nCORPORATION\nTest Report\n(Whip-it\nInternal prmure (70'F) 21.1'C\nResult(n•Sl\nn•l n•2 n•3 n•4\nMP a 0.22 0.21 0.21 0.22\npsig 31.91 30.46 30.46 31.91\nn•S\n0.22\n31.91\ng Internal prmure (130\"F) 54.4'C\nMP a\npsig\n0.55\n79.77","truncated":false,"body_characters":7317}