Wednesday, 1st January 2020
Divinylbenzene (DVB) is a liquid chemical that is prone to polymerization (a form of self-reaction). When shipped in bulk, DVB polymerization can cause a large amount of heat and flammable gas to be generated. The gas cloud can resemble smoke from a fire. If exposed to an ignition source and a specific amount of oxygen, the DVB gas may explode. Stowage of containers carrying DVB on board ships can therefore present a risk of explosion and fire.
Divinylbenzene shall be transported in compliance with the requirements set out in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). The requirements for carriage of polymerizing substances, such as Divinylbenzene, under the IMDG Code were changed by amendment 39-18 of the IMDG Code, which has been mandatory since 1 January 2020.
The Guidelines for the Carriage of Divinylbenzene in Containers published in January 2019 were a joint publication of CINS (the Cargo Incident Notification System), the International Group and the TT Club to promote the safe carriage of Divinylbenzene in containers and the voluntary application of the amended IMDG Code requirements. Since the amendments are now mandatory, the Guidelines have been removed from this website.
