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When shipping hazardous materials, properly classifying the material is the first step. This step can be confusing when trying to ship mixtures or solutions that have a hazardous material component.
Properly classifying a hazardous material is the shipper’s responsibility. Proper classification is necessary to ensure the appropriate packaging is used and that the packaging is properly labeled and marked.
When dealing with products that are mixtures or solutions, remember that it is the mixture or solution that is to be classified — which may or may not be the same as any hazardous components. Do not assume that a solution or mixture will have the same classification as the hazardous component(s).
Example. Whether a solution of a flammable liquid and water is flammable will depend on the flashpoint of the solution, not on the flashpoint of flammable component.
In the case of a product made up of two or more components having different hazards, the product may exhibit the characteristics of each component, of only one component, or possibly of none of the components.
Review 49 CFR Part 173, Subpart D, for the classification, Packing Group assignments and exceptions for more details (refer to Subpart C for Class 1 materials and Subpart I for Class 7 materials).
Remember, on shipping papers and package markings, the names of one or more components contributing to the hazard(s) of the material may be required to be entered in parentheses in association with the proper shipping name.
For more information on picking a proper shipping name for a mixture/solution see Proper shipping name.