Most dye intermediates ship by sea in containers. Solids are usually packed in lined bags, jumbo bags or fibre drums. Liquids go in steel or plastic drums, IBCs or ISO tanks. The packing depends on the product's form, its hazard class and your handling equipment.
Agree the packing in writing before production. It affects cost, container load, shelf life and whether the shipment is accepted by the shipping line.
Common packing options
These are the usual choices for intermediates:
- HDPE woven bags with an inner polyethylene liner, typically 25 kg, for stable powders such as many sulphonic acid salts.
- Fibre or HDPE drums with liners, used for powders that need more protection from moisture or crushing.
- Jumbo bags of around 500 to 1,000 kg, for large volumes of free-flowing solids where you have handling equipment.
- Steel or HDPE drums of around 200 to 250 litres, for liquids such as amines and nitro compounds.
- IBCs of about 1,000 litres, for mid-sized liquid volumes where the product is compatible with the container.
- ISO tanks, for full-load bulk liquids.
Our article on buying chemicals in drums, IBCs or ISO tanks compares the bulk options.
Protecting the product
Many intermediates absorb moisture, cake or slowly hydrolyse. Ask for a sealed inner liner and, for sensitive products, a nitrogen blanket in drums of liquid amines to limit oxidation and darkening.
Pallets should be shrink-wrapped and the container loaded tight, with no gaps that let drums shift. In hot seasons, ask about container temperature and avoid long dwell times at port for heat-sensitive products.
Hazardous intermediates
Many amines and nitro compounds are classed as dangerous goods. These must travel in UN-approved packaging tested for their packing group, carry the right hazard labels and UN number, and be booked as DG cargo. See whether intermediates are hazardous cargo for the classification steps.
The shipper is legally responsible for classifying, packing and declaring dangerous goods correctly. Confirm the arrangements with your freight forwarder before the booking, since not every line or vessel accepts every class.
Marking and documents
Each package should show the product name, batch number, net and gross weight, and the manufacture date. Batch numbers on the packs should match the COA. Inspecting packing and marking during loading catches most errors before they reach your port.
Ask for photos of the packed lot, the container interior and the closed doors with the seal number visible. They help if a claim arises later.
Next step
We agree packing specifications with suppliers and supervise loading so the right lots go in the right packs. To start, book a free sourcing review.