DOT Hazard Class Definitions,Division of Research Safety,U of I

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Class 1 Explosives (49 CFR 173.50)

An explosive is any substance or article, including a device, which is designed to function by explosion, i.e. an extremely rapid release of gas and heat, or which, by chemical reaction within itself, is able to function in a similar manner even if not designed to function by explosion, unless it is otherwise classified under the provision of the regulations. Explosives in Class 1 are further divided into six divisions: Division 1.1 Explosives that have a mass explosion hazard, i.e. a mass explosion affects the entire load instantaneously. Division 1.2 Explosives that have a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard. Division 1.3 Explosives that have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard. Division 1.4 Explosives that present minor explosion hazard. The explosive effects are largely confined to the package and no projection or fragments of appreciable size or range are expected. An external fire must not cause virtually instantaneous explosion of almost the entire contents of the package. Division 1.5 Very insensitive explosives that have a mass explosion hazard but are so insensitive that there is little probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of transport. Division 1.6 Extremely insensitive articles that do not have a mass explosive hazard and that contain only extremely insensitive detonating substances and demonstrate a negligible probability of accidental initiation or propagation. The following list contains some examples of explosives, but is not all inclusive: Ammonium nitrate-fuel oil mixture Ammonium perchlorate Ammunition Fireworks Black powder/gun powder Blasting caps Photo flash bombs Primer cord Flares Fuses Grenades Hexolite Lead Azide (wetted) Mines
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Model rocket motors Nitrocellulose Nitroglycerin, desensitized Picrite Octonal Primers RDX Signal devices Toy caps Tracers (for ammunition) Trinitrotoluene (TNT or dynamite) If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is an explosive, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 2 Compressed Gases (49 CFR 173.115)

Division 2.1 - Flammable Gas A material that is a gas at 20 C or below and 101.3 kPa of pressure (ambient temperature and pressure), i.e. the material has a boiling point of 20 C at sea level and: Is ignitable when in a mixture of 13 percent or less by volume with air. Or has a flammability range with air of at least 12% regardless of the lower limit. Division 2.2 - Non-Flammable/Non-Poisonous Compressed Gas A material or mixture that exerts in the packaging an absolute pressure of 280 kPa (40.6 psi) or greater at 20 C and does not meet the definition of Division 2.1 or 2.3. This includes compressed gas, liquefied gas, pressurized cryogenic gas, comporessed gas in solution, asphyxiant gas and oxidizing gas. Division 2.3 Gas Poisonous by Inhalation A material that is a gas at 20 C or below and 101.3 kPa of pressure (ambient temperature and pressure), i.e. the material has a boiling point of 20 C at sea level and: Is known to be so toxic to humans as to pose a hazard during transportation Or in the absence of adequate data on human toxicity, is presumed to be toxic to humans because when tested on laboratory animals it has an LC50 value of 5,000 ml/m3 LC50 is the concentration that will cause death to 50% of a sample population of laboratory animals under specified conditions. The following list contains some examples of compressed gases, but is not all inclusive:
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Division 2.1 Flammable Aerosols LPG (propane) Acetylene Butane Some refrigerant gases (R152a, R1132a, etc) Ethylene Hydrocarbon gases Hydrogen Lighters Methane

Division 2.2 Aerosols Carbon dioxide Most refrigerant gases (R124, R133, etc) CO2 fire extinguishers Helium Nitrogen Nitrous Oxide (also an oxidizer) Oxygen (also an oxidizer)

Division 2.3 Poisonous Ammonia, anhydrous Boron trichloride Boron trifluroide Hydrogen sulfide Carbon monoxide Compressed coal gas Cyanogen Chlorine Silicon tetrafluoride

Rare gases and nitrogen mixtures Phosgene Xenon

If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is a compressed gas, or what division compressed gas it is, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 3 Flammable and Combustible Liquids (49 CFR 173.120)

Flammable liquids are: A liquid having a flash point of 60.5 C (141 F) Any material in a liquid phase with a flash point 37.8 C (100 F) that is intentionally heated and offered for transport or transported at or above its flash point in bulk packaging. Combustible liquids are a liquid that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class and has a flash point of > 60.5 C (141 F) and 93 C (200 F). The following are exceptions to the Class 3 definition: Liquids meeting the definition of Class 2 gases Mixtures in which 99% of the contents have a flash point of 60.5 C (141 F) that are not transported at or above flash point
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Liquids with a flash point > 35 C (95 F) that do not sustain combustion according to ASTM 4206 Liquids with a flash point > 35 C and a fire point > 100 C according to ISO 2592 Liquids with a flash point > 35 C that are in a water miscible solution with a water content > 90% by mass. When offered for ground transport, a flammable liquid with a flash point 38 C (100 F) that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class may be reclassified as a combustible liquid. This means that non-bulk packages will be exempt from regulation when offered by ground. The following list contains some examples of flammable/combustible liquids, but is not all inclusive: Acetone Acrylonitrile Alcohols Aldehydes Amyl nitrate and nitrite Benzene Carbon disulfide Some cleaning compounds Diesel fuel Esters Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) Some flavorings Some amines Some silines Dimethyl formamide (DMF) Fuel oil Gasoline Hexanes Liquid hydrocarbons Kerosene Ketones Octanes Perfumes Petroleum oil Some resin solutions Rubber solution Shale oil Tars If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is flammable/combustible, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

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Class 4 Flammable Solids (49 CFR 173.124)

Division 4.1 Flammable Solids are: Wetted explosives that are Class 1 explosives when dry, that are sufficiently wetted to suppress explosive properties. Self-reactive materials that are thermally unstable and can undergo strong exothermic decomposition even in the absence of oxygen. Readily combustible solids that can cause fire through friction, such as matches. Powdered, granular or pasty materials must be classified as Division 4.1 when the time of burning of one or more of the test runs, per the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, is less than 45 seconds or the rate of burn is more than 2.2 mm/sec. Powders of metals or metal alloys are classified as Division 4.1 when they can be ignited and the reaction spreads over the whole length of the sample in 10 minutes. Division 4.2 Spontaneously Combustible materials includes the following: Pyrophoric materials liquids or solids that can, without an external ignition source, ignite within 5 minutes after coming into contact with air. Self-heating materials substances that, when in contact with air and without an energy supply, are liable to self-heat. A material of this type that exhibits spontaneous ignition, or if the temperature exceeds 200 C (393 F) during the 24 hour test period, is classified as a Division 4.2 Division 4.3 Dangerous When Wet materials are materials that, when in contact with water, are liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas at a rate of > 1L/kg of material/hr. The following list contains some examples of Class 4 materials, but is not all inclusive: Flammable Solids Matches Pentaborane Silicon powder Wetted explosives Sulfur Titanium Powder, wetted Zinc resinate Naphthalene Spontaneously Combustible Dangerous When Wet Activated carbon Barium Phosphorus Potassium sulfide, anhydrous Oily rags Seed cake Sodium sulfide, anhydrous Butyl lythium Calcium Hydride Calcium Calcium carbide Magnesium Lithium Sodium Sodium Borohydride
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Alkaline earth metal alloys Aluminum powder

Nitrocellulose membrane filters Lithium alkyds

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If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is a class 4 material, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 5 Oxidizers and Organic Peroxides (49 CFR 173.127 and 173.128)
Division 5.1 Oxidizers are materials that can, generally by yielding oxygen, cause or enhance the combustion of other materials. Division 5.2 Organic Peroxides are any organic compounds containing oxygen in a bivalent O-O- structure and which may be considered derivatives of hydrogen peroxide, where one or more of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by organic radicals. Refer to 173.128 for exceptions. The following list contains some examples of oxidizers and organic peroxides, but is not all inclusive: Many fertilizers Chlorates Chlorites Nitrates Perchlorates Perchlorites Persulfates Permanganates Peroxides Chemical oxygen generators Sodium superoxide Pool chemicals (sodium hypochlorite) If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is an oxidizer or organic peroxide, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 6, Division 6.1 Poisonous/Toxic Materials (49 CFR 173.132)

Poisonous or Toxic Materials are materials, other than a gas, known to be so toxic to humans as to pose a health hazard during transportation, or which, in the absence of adequate human toxicity data:

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Is presumed to be toxic to humans because it is within one of the following when tested on lab animals: Oral toxicity: a material with an LD50 of 300 mg/kg. Dermal toxicity: a material with an LD50 of 1000 mg/kg Inhalation toxicity: a dust or mist with an LC50 for acute toxicity on inhalation of 4.0 mg/L; or a material with a saturated vapor conc. in air at 20C of more than 1/5 of the LC50 for acute toxicity on inhalation of vapors and with an LC50 for acute toxicity on inhalation of vapors of < 5000 mL/m3 Is a material with properties similar to tear gas that causes extreme irritation, especially in confined spaces. Toxins that are extracted from a living source like plant, animal, or bacteria are called biotoxins and could be considered toxic if the LD50 meets the criteria stated above. Some examples of a Division 6.1 poisonous/toxic material are listed below, but this list is not all inclusive:

Poisonous/Toxic Material
Some pesticides Barium compounds Phenol Acrylamide Chloroform Cresols Aniline Cyanides Mercury compounds Arsenic Nicotine Xylenols Tear Gas Vanadium compounds Sodium Azide

Biotoxins
Aflatoxins Enterotoxins Saxitoxins Bungarotoxins Mycotoxins Shigatoxin Diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) Phalloidin Tetrodotoxin
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Endotoxins Ricin T-2 toxin If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is poisonous, toxic, or a biotoxin, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 6, Division 6.2 Infectious Substances (49 CFR 173.134)

The following categories of materials constitute Division 6.2: Infectious Substances (Division 6.2): A material known or reasonably expected to contain a pathogen. A pathogen is a micro-organism (including bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, parasites, fungi) or other agent, such as a proteinaceous infectious particle (prion) that can cause disease in humans or animals. 1. Category A: An infectious substance in a form capable of causing permanent disability or life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals when exposure to it occurs. An exposure occurs when an infectious substance is released outside of its protective packaging, resulting in physical contact with human or animals. Classification must be based on the known medical history or symptoms of the source patient or animal, endemic local conditions, or professional judgment concerning the individual circumstances of the source human or animal. Category A poses a higher degree of risk than Category B. 2. Category B: An infectious substance not in a form generally capable of causing permanent disability or life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals when exposure to it occurs. This includes Category B infectious substances transported for diagnostic or investigational purposes. Culture: An infectious substance containing a pathogen that is intentionally propagated. Culture does not include a human or animal patient specimen. Cultures may be categorized as category A or B depending on the microorganism concerned. Regulated Medical Waste: Waste derived from the medical treatment of humans, or animals, or from biological research. Typically, regulated medical waste is classified as category B. Patient Specimens: Human or animal materials collected directly from humans or animals and transported for research, diagnosis, investigational activities, or disease treatment or prevention. Patient specimens include excreta, secreta, blood and its components, tissue and tissue swabs, body parts, and specimens in transport media (e.g. transwabs, culture media, and blood culture bottles). Patient specimens that have a minimal likelihood of containing pathogens via professional judgment are exempt from the hazardous materials
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regulation but do have packaging requirements. Biological Products: Derivations of living organisms and manufactured for use in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure of diseases in humans or animals and are certified by the USDA, FDA, or other national authority. Examples of biological products include certain viruses, therapeutic serums, toxins, antitoxins, vaccines, blood, and blood products. If you wish to ship biological materials, please consult the Division of Research Safety Biological Safety Section via e-mail or call 333-2755. Additional training may be required. See Transport of Biological Materials for more information. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 7 Radioactive Materials

For DOT requirements, radioactive material means any material having a specific activity greater than 0.002 microcuries per gram (Ci/g). The specific activity of a radionuclide means the activity of the radionuclide per unit mass of that nuclide. The specific activity of a material in which the radionuclide is essentially uniformly distributed is the activity per unit mass of the material. If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is a radioactive material, notify the DRS Radiation Safety Group and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 8 Corrosive Materials (49 CFR 173.136)

Corrosive materials are liquids or solids that cause full thickness destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified period of time; or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum based on criteria in 173.137(c)(2). A liquid is considered to have a severe corrosion rate if it corrodes steel (SAE 1020) or aluminum (non-clad 7075-T6) faster than 6.25 mm (0.246 in.) a year at a temperature of 55 C (131 F). Corrosive materials may be acid or alkaline, organic or inorganic. The following list contains some examples of corrosives, but is not all inclusive: Acetic acid Sulfuric acid Nitric acid Hydrochloric acid Perchloric acid (< 50%) Hydrofluoric acid Ferric chloride
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Formaldehyde Gallium Hypochlorite solutions Chromic acid Maleic anhydride Mercury Soda lime Sodium hydroxide (lye) Ammonium hydroxide Ethanolamine Potassium hydroxide Mercury If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is corrosive, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

Class 9 Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials (49 CFR 173.140)

Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials are materials that present a hazard during transportation but dont meet the definitions of hazard classes 1 8. This includes: Material that has an anesthetic, noxious, or similar property that could cause extreme annoyance or discomfort to a flight crewmember so as to prevent the correct performance of assigned duties. Any material that meets the definition in 171.8 of an elevated temperature material, a hazardous substance, a hazardous waste, or a marine pollutant. Some examples of Class 9 materials are, but not limited to: Air bag inflators Asbestos Dry Ice Environmentally Hazardous Substances (RQs) RCRA hazardous wastes that dont meet the definition of Class 1 8 PCBs Polymeric beads Wheel chairs/electric vehicles Elevated temperature material means a material which, when offered for transportation or transported in a bulk packaging, is one of the following: In a liquid phase and at a temp. 100 C In a liquid phase with a flash point 37.8 C (100 F) that is intentionally heated and
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offered for transportation or transported at or above its flash point. In a solid phase and at a temperature 240 C (464 F) Hazardous Substances are materials found in Appendix A to the HMT, identified in CERCLA as environmentally hazardous substances. A hazardous substance is a material that is packaged in a quantity the reportable quantity (RQ) listed for it in the Appendix. Marine Pollutants are listed in Appendix B to the HMT. Some of these are also listed in the HMT. There are two main types of marine pollutants: Marine Pollutant, 10% in concentration Severe marine pollutant, 1% in concentration Severe marine pollutants are noted with PP in the SMP column of the marine pollutant list. EPA defines hazardous waste as a solid waste that displays a hazardous characteristic (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity) or a waste that is on one of the hazardous waste lists. If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is Class 9 miscellaneous hazardous material, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

The offering for transportation or transportation of the following is forbidden by DOT:

Materials that are designated forbidden in column 3 of the Hazmat Table. Forbidden explosives as defined in 49 CFR 173.54 Certain electrical devices likely to create spark or generate a dangerous quantity of heat. Packages with magnetized fields of more than 0.00525 gauss at 15 ft from any surface of the package, when offered for carriage by aircraft Packaging with incompatible materials, the mixing of which is likely to cause a dangerous evolution of heat, flammable or toxic gases, or vapors, or to produce corrosive materials. Packages containing materials likely to decompose or polymerize with the evolution of a dangerous quantity of heat or gas, unless the material is stabilized or inhibited in a manner to preclude such evolution. Packages that emit a flammable gas or vapor, released from a material not otherwise regulated, likely to create a flammable mixture with air in the transport vehicle. Packages containing materials other than Class 1 explosives that will detonate in a fire. Packages containing cigarette lighters or similar devices, equipped with an ignition element and containing fuel, except as approved under 49 CFR 173.308
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Organic peroxides of the ketone peroxide category that contain 9% available oxygen including the following: Acetyl acetone peroxide Cyclohexanone peroxide(s) Diacetone alcohol peroxide(s) Methylcyclohexanone peroxide(s) Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide(s) Methyl isobutyl ketone peroxide(s) Examples of some forbidden materials include, but are not limited to: Acetylene (liquefied) Ammonium azide Bromosilane Chlorine azide Chlorine dioxide (not hydrate) Chloroprene, uninhibited Dinitromethane Ethyl perchlorate Fulminating gold, mercury, platinum and/or silver Fulminic acid Hydrazine azide Hydrazine chlorate Hydrocyanic acid (prussic), unstabilized Iodoxy compounds (dry) Lead picrate (dry) Mercurous azide Mercury iodide aquabasic ammonobasic (Iodide of Millon's base) Mercury nitride Methyl nitrate Nickel picrate Nitrates of diazonium compounds Nitroglycerin, liquid, not desensitized Nitrosugars (dry) Organic peroxide type A, liquid or solid Perchloric acid, with > 72% acid by mass Potassium carbonyl Silver azide (dry) Tetrazine (dry) If there is a question as to whether the material you wish to ship is a forbidden from transportation, notify DRS and ask to have a determination made. Return to main DOT guidance page

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