DOT transport classification

Hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid): DOT classification

Hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) does not have a UN number that changes at a stated concentration. Under 49 CFR 172.101 the packing group is assigned by test criteria, not by percentage — see below for what decides it and how Alliance Chemical's own grades are classified.

CAS 7647-01-0 · Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table; packing group per 49 CFR 173.137

Why there is no percentage cutoff

UN1789 is Class 8 at every commercial strength, but the packing group is set by the 49 CFR 173.137 corrosivity criteria — skin-destruction and metal-corrosion test results — not by a percentage in the table. In practice concentrated muriatic acid (~31-38%) ships PG II and dilute solutions ship PG III, but no percentage in §172.101 draws that line.

How Alliance Chemical's grades are classified

Each classification below is the verified value for that product, not an inference from its strength.
UN numberClassPacking groupProducts
UN17898IIHydrochloric Acid 10% ACS Reagent Grade in a 1-gallon white plastic jug, Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 10% ACS GradeHydrochloric Acid 10% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug from Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 10% Technical GradeHydrochloric Acid 15% ACS GradeHydrochloric Acid 15% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug, Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 15% Technical GradeHydrochloric Acid 20% ACS Reagent Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug from Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 20% ACS GradeHydrochloric Acid 20% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug for metal finishing, Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 20% Technical GradeHydrochloric Acid 25% ACS Reagent Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug from Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 25% ACS GradeHydrochloric Acid 25% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug, Alliance ChemicalHydrochloric Acid 25% Technical GradeHydrochloric Acid 31% ACS GradeHydrochloric Acid 31% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon jug from Alliance Chemical for steel pickling and industrial pH adjustmentHydrochloric Acid 31% Technical GradeHydrochloric Acid 37% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon jug, Alliance Chemical for steel pickling and metal cleaningHydrochloric Acid 37% (HCL 37%) - Technical GradeHydrochloric Acid 37% ACS Reagent Grade in a 1-gallon jug from Alliance Chemical for metal picklingHydrochloric Acid 37% ACS Reagent Grade
UN17898IIIHydrochloric Acid 5% ACS GradeHydrochloric Acid 5% Technical Grade in a 1-gallon plastic jug from Alliance Chemical for equipment descalingHydrochloric Acid 5% Technical Grade

How to read this

  • Percentages are by mass. 49 CFR 172.101 thresholds are w/w, but product labels often state volume (v/v). Near a cutoff the two can fall on opposite sides, so confirm the basis before classifying a shipment.
  • Products listed are verified individually. A product appears in a band only when its own reviewed classification matches it. Where a product's classification is still under review, we leave it out rather than infer it from the table.
  • This page is a reference, not a shipping paper. Classification for an actual shipment depends on packaging, quantity and mode; consult the current eCFR entry and the product's safety data sheet.

Source

49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table; packing group per 49 CFR 173.137. Reference text: “HMT entry carries BOTH PG II and PG III; assignment is by corrosivity (173.137), not a stated %. Concentrated/muriatic acid (~31-38%) ships PG II; dilute solutions ship PG III. SP B133 limits certain IBCs to concentrations not exceeding 38%. No 5.1/oxidizer subsidiary (HCl is non-oxidizing).”

All DOT classification references