Flammable liquids — dangerous goods classification
Class 3 is the largest class in consumer shipping. A liquid is a flammable liquid if its closed-cup flash point is at or below 60 °C — which catches perfume, hand sanitiser, nail polish, solvent adhesives and a great many products that look like ordinary cosmetics.
The mistake this category generates
The packing group comes from flash point AND initial boiling point together, not flash point alone. An initial boiling point at or below 35 °C is packing group I whatever the flash point says.
Entries (15)
| UN | Proper shipping name | Class | PG | Labels | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN1993 | Flammable liquids, n.o.s. | 3 | I/II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1170 | Ethanol solution | 3 | II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1219 | Isopropanol | 3 | II | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1230 | Methanol(subsidiary 6.1) | 3 | II | FLAMMABLE LIQUID, TOXIC | pax forbidden·cargo permitted |
| UN1263 | Paint or Paint related material | 3 | I/II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1266 | Perfumery products with flammable solvents | 3 | II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN3065 | Alcoholic beverages | 3 | II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1133 | Adhesives, containing a flammable liquid | 3 | I/II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1203 | Gasoline | 3 | II | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax forbidden·cargo forbidden |
| UN1202 | Diesel fuel | 3 | III | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1210 | Printing ink, flammable | 3 | I/II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1294 | Toluene | 3 | II | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1090 | Acetone | 3 | II | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1173 | Ethyl acetate | 3 | II | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
| UN1866 | Resin solution, flammable | 3 | I/II/III — derived | FLAMMABLE LIQUID | pax limited·cargo permitted |
Shipper notes
UN1993 Flammable liquids, n.o.s.
- A generic n.o.s. entry. The technical name of the flammable constituent must be shown in parentheses after the proper shipping name (49 CFR 172.203(k)).
- The packing group is set by flash point and initial boiling point under 49 CFR 173.121, so a flash point is required before this entry can be assigned one.
UN1170 Ethanol solution
- Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is normally shipped under this entry. Gels above 24% ABV that are not beverages are Class 3; a flash point determines whether packing group II or III applies.
- Ethanol solutions with 24% or less alcohol by volume are not subject to the regulations under 49 CFR 173.150(f) when they meet the consumer-commodity conditions.
UN1219 Isopropanol
- Flash point 12 °C, so packing group II under 49 CFR 173.121 regardless of concentration once the mixture is predominantly isopropanol.
- Isopropyl alcohol solutions of 70% and 91% both fall here; dilute wipes may qualify as a limited quantity.
UN1230 Methanol
- Toxic by inhalation and skin absorption, which is why the subsidiary 6.1 label is required alongside the flammable liquid label.
- Forbidden on passenger aircraft; permitted on cargo aircraft under the IATA DGR entry.
UN1263 Paint or Paint related material
- Covers paint, lacquer, enamel, stain, shellac, varnish, polish, liquid filler and liquid lacquer base — nail polish and nail lacquer are the highest-volume e-commerce case.
- Water-based paint with no flash point below 60 °C is not a dangerous good. The flash point is what decides, so it must be supplied.
- Paint in an aerosol dispenser is UN1950 Aerosols, not this entry.
UN1266 Perfumery products with flammable solvents
- Fine fragrance is typically 60–85% ethanol, so it is almost always a Class 3 dangerous good even though it looks like an ordinary cosmetic.
- A perfume in an aerosol dispenser with a propellant is UN1950 Aerosols instead.
UN3065 Alcoholic beverages
- Beverages containing more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol by volume are packing group III; more than 70% ABV is packing group II.
- Beverages of 24% ABV or less are not subject to the regulations — most wine and beer is therefore not a dangerous good.
UN1133 Adhesives, containing a flammable liquid
- Water-based PVA glue and cyanoacrylate super glue are normally not dangerous goods; solvent-borne contact adhesives and PVC cements almost always are.
UN1203 Gasoline
- Forbidden on both passenger and cargo aircraft.
- An engine or vehicle that has contained gasoline ships under UN3166, not this entry.
UN1202 Diesel fuel
- Flash point above 38 °C, so packing group III. Some jurisdictions except diesel below specified quantities when carried by road.
UN1210 Printing ink, flammable
- Water-based and UV-cure inks are typically not dangerous goods; solvent inks are.
- Inkjet cartridges are usually not regulated — check the SDS section 14 before assuming.
UN1090 Acetone
- Acetone-based nail polish remover ships under this entry when acetone predominates; acetone-free removers may not be regulated at all.
UN1866 Resin solution, flammable
- Two-part epoxy resins are more often Class 8 or Class 9 or unregulated; styrene-containing polyester resins are Class 3.
Questions
- What UN number applies to flammable liquids?
- Class 3 is the largest class in consumer shipping. A liquid is a flammable liquid if its closed-cup flash point is at or below 60 °C — which catches perfume, hand sanitiser, nail polish, solvent adhesives and a great many products that look like ordinary cosmetics.
- What do people get wrong about shipping flammable liquids?
- The packing group comes from flash point AND initial boiling point together, not flash point alone. An initial boiling point at or below 35 °C is packing group I whatever the flash point says.
- Which entries does Classify7 encode for flammable liquids?
- UN1993 Flammable liquids, n.o.s. (class 3); UN1170 Ethanol solution (class 3); UN1219 Isopropanol (class 3, packing group II); UN1230 Methanol (class 3, packing group II); UN1263 Paint or Paint related material (class 3); UN1266 Perfumery products with flammable solvents (class 3); UN3065 Alcoholic beverages (class 3); UN1133 Adhesives, containing a flammable liquid (class 3); UN1203 Gasoline (class 3, packing group II); UN1202 Diesel fuel (class 3, packing group III); UN1210 Printing ink, flammable (class 3); UN1294 Toluene (class 3, packing group II); UN1090 Acetone (class 3, packing group II); UN1173 Ethyl acetate (class 3, packing group II); UN1866 Resin solution, flammable (class 3)
Classify your actual product
Which of these entries applies depends on the formulation, not the category. Send the product and Classify7 returns the entry with the evidence that selected it — or tells you which measurement it needs first.
Classify a product