New totes and steel IBCs for chemical makers
Chemical plants ship their liquid products in rated totes and keep flammable ones in steel, so they need composite totes rated for the density and packing group of each product, and UN31A steel IBCs for anything with a flash point below 100 °F.
What goes in the totes
Intermediates and finished liquids: acids, alkalis, amines, surfactants, polymers in solution, resins, catalysts in carrier fluids, solvents. Plants also hold raw materials and additives received in totes, and recover solvents into them.
The tote and the rule
Composite totes are 31HA1/Y, tested for Packing Groups II and III; the specific gravity must cover the product (49 CFR 178.702). Fill so the tote is no more than 98 percent full at 50 °C (49 CFR 173.35(d)). For liquids with a flash point at or below 60 °C, take measures against static during filling and emptying (173.35(k)). Class I flammables belong in metal IBCs.
Where the industry is
892,426 chemical manufacturing jobs in 2025: Texas 90,310, California 75,499, Ohio 49,328, Illinois 48,745, New Jersey 47,966 (BLS QCEW 2025). Louisiana's 28,918 jobs are 2.7 times the national share. Calcasieu Parish held 5,278 chemical jobs and the Houston metro 42,669, at 2.2 times the national share.
Two tote stocks, kept apart
Most plants end up with two: rated composite totes for water-based and non-flammable products, and steel IBCs for solvents and flammables. Mark them so a steel IBC isn't sent out one-way by mistake and a composite tote is never filled with a Class I liquid. Steel IBCs are built to come back, carry a serial number on the plate, and need the owner's test records kept (49 CFR 180.352(g)).
Totes we would quote
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Illustrative image, generated. Not a photograph of our stock or deliveries. UN-rated chemical totes
For outbound regulated liquids up to Packing Group II, at Y1.6 or Y1.9.
- UN code
- 31HA1/Y
- Packing groups
- II and III
- Specific gravity
- 1.6 or 1.9
- Retest
- every 2.5 years
Illustrative image, generated. Not a photograph of our stock or deliveries. New 330 gallon IBC tote
For plants that ship volume and have the height: 1,250 litres on a 48 × 40 in base.
- Capacity
- 330 gal / 1,250 L
- Footprint
- 48 x 40 in
- Height
- 53 to 54 in
- Tare
- about 155 lb
Illustrative image, generated. Not a photograph of our stock or deliveries. Carbon steel and metal IBCs
For solvents and flammable intermediates, and for plants that need a UL 142 listed IBC for storage.
- Build
- Carbon steel shell
- UN code
- 31A
- Approval
- often UL 142
- For
- Class I flammables
Illustrative image, generated. Not a photograph of our stock or deliveries. Stainless steel IBC totes
For corrosive or high-purity products and IBCs that circulate between sites for years.
- Steel
- 304, 10 gauge
- Finish
- 2B
- UN code
- 31A
- Sizes
- 350, 550, 793 gal
Questions from chemical plant buyers
- Can a composite tote carry a Packing Group I product?
- No. No IBC of any build may be filled with a Packing Group I liquid.
- What about a product denser than 1.9?
- It is beyond a standard caged tote’s rating. Tell us the product; a steel IBC or another container may suit.
- Do steel IBCs need the same retests?
- Yes: leakproofness and external inspection every 2.5 years, internal inspection every five, with a wall-thickness check on metal IBCs.
Also read: Flammable liquids, UN31A steel IBCs, Y1.6 or Y1.9, Chemical distribution. All industries.
Quote totes for chemical plant
List the products with their packing group, specific gravity and flash point from the SDS, the quantity of each tote type and the plant’s ZIP.