Dangerous Goods by Road
Proper shipping names may be used in the singular or plural as appropriate. In addition, when
qualifying words are used as part of the proper shipping name, their sequence on documentation or
package marks is optional. For instance, "DIMETHYLAMINE AQUEOUS SOLUTION" may
alternatively be shown "AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF DIMETHYLAMINE". Commercial or military
names for goods of Class 1 which contain the proper shipping name supplemented by additional
descriptive text may be used.
Many substances have an entry for both the liquid and solid state (see definitions for liquid and solid
in 1.2.1), or for the solid and solution. These are allocated separate UN numbers which are not
necessarily adjacent to each other1.
1 Details are provided in the alphabetical index (Table B of Chapter 3.2), e.g.:
NITROXYLENES, LIQUID 6.1 1665;
NITROXYLENES, SOLID 6.1 3447.
Unless it is already included in capital letters in the name indicated in Table A in Chapter 3.2, the
qualifying word "MOLTEN" shall be added as part of the proper shipping name when a substance,
which is a solid in accordance with the definition in 1.2.1, is offered for carriage in the molten state
(e.g. ALKYLPHENOL, SOLID, N.O.S., MOLTEN).
Except for self-reactive substances and organic peroxides and unless it is already included in capital
letters in the name indicated in Column (2) of Table A of Chapter 3.2, the word "STABILIZED" shall
be added as part of the proper shipping name of a substance which without stabilization would be
forbidden from carriage in accordance with paragraphs 2.2.X.2 due to it being liable to dangerously
react under conditions normally encountered in carriage (e.g.: "TOXIC LIQUID, ORGANIC, N.O.S.,
STABILIZED").
When temperature control is used to stabilize such substances to prevent the development of any
dangerous excess pressure, or the evolution of excessive heat, or when chemical stabilization is used
in combination with temperature control, then:
(a) For liquids and solids where the SAPT2 (measured without or with inhibitor, when chemical
stabilization is applied) is less than or equal to that prescribed in 2.2.41.1.21, the provisions of
2.2.41.1.17, special provision 386 of Chapter 3.3, special provision V8 of Chapter 7.2, special
provision S4 of Chapter 8.5 and the requirements of Chapter 9.6 apply except that the term
"SADT" as used in these paragraphs is understood to include also "SAPT" when the substance
concerned reacts by polymerization;
(b) For gases: the conditions of carriage shall be approved by the competent authority.
Hydrates may be carried under the proper shipping name for the anhydrous substance.
Generic or "not otherwise specified" (N.O.S.) names
Generic and "not otherwise specified" proper shipping names that are assigned to special provision
274 or 318 in Column (6) of Table A in Chapter 3.2 shall be supplemented with the technical name of
the goods unless a national law or international convention prohibits its disclosure if it is a controlled
substance. For explosives of Class 1, the dangerous goods description may be supplemented by
additional descriptive text to indicate commercial or military names. Technical names shall be entered
in brackets immediately following the proper shipping name. An appropriate modifier, such as
"contains" or "containing" or other qualifying words such as "mixture", "solution", etc. and the
percentage of the technical constituent may also be used. For example: "UN 1993 FLAMMABLE
LIQUID, N.O.S. (CONTAINS XYLENE AND BENZENE), 3, II".
The technical name shall be a recognized chemical name or biological name, or other name currently
used in scientific and technical handbooks, journals and texts. Trade names shall not be used for this
purpose. In the case of pesticides, only ISO common name(s), other name(s) in the World Health
Organization (WHO) Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard and Guidelines to
Classification, or the name(s) of the active substance(s) may be used.
When a mixture of dangerous goods is described by one of the "N.O.S." or "generic" entries to which
special provision 274 has been allocated in Column (6) of Table A in Chapter 3.2, not more than the
two constituents which most predominantly contribute to the hazard or hazards of a mixture need to
be shown, excluding controlled substances when their disclosure is prohibited by national law or
international convention. If a package containing a mixture is labelled with any subsidiary risk label,
one of the two technical names shown in parentheses shall be the name of the constituent which
compels the use of the subsidiary risk label.
NOTE: See 5.4.1.2.2.
Examples illustrating the selection of the proper shipping name supplemented with the technical name
of goods for such N.O.S. entries are:
UN 2902 PESTICIDE, LIQUID, TOXIC, N.O.S. (drazoxolon);
UN 3394 ORGANOMETALLIC SUBSTANCE, LIQUID, PYROPHORIC, WATERREACTIVE
(trimethylgallium).
2 For the definition of self-accelerating polymerization temperature (SAPT), see 1.2.1.
Solutions or mixtures
NOTE: Where a substance is specifically mentioned by name in Table A of Chapter 3.2, it shall be
identified in carriage by the proper shipping name in Column (2) of Table A of Chapter 3.2. Such
substances may contain technical impurities (for example those deriving from the production process)
or additives for stability or other purposes that do not affect its classification. However, a substance
mentioned by name containing technical impurities or additives for stability or other purposes
affecting its classification shall be considered a solution or mixture (see 2.1.3.3).
A solution or mixture is not subject to ADR if the characteristics, properties, form or physical state of
the solution or mixture are such that it does not meet the criteria, including human experience criteria,
for inclusion in any class.
A solution or mixture meeting the classification criteria of ADR composed of a single predominant
substance mentioned by name in Table A of Chapter 3.2 and one or more substances not subject to
ADR or traces of one or more substances mentioned by name in Table A of Chapter 3.2, shall be
assigned the UN number and proper shipping name of the predominant substance mentioned by name
in Table A of Chapter 3.2 unless:
(a) The solution or mixture is mentioned by name in Table A of Chapter 3.2;
(b) The name and description of the substance mentioned by name in Table A of Chapter 3.2
specifically indicate that they apply only to the pure substance;
(c) The class, classification code, packing group, or physical state of the solution or mixture is
different from that of the substance mentioned by name in Table A of Chapter 3.2; or
(d) The hazard characteristics and properties of the solution or mixture necessitate emergency
response measures that are different from those required for the substance mentioned by name
in Table A of Chapter 3.2.
Qualifying words such as "SOLUTION" or "MIXTURE", as appropriate, shall be added as part of the
proper shipping name, for example, "ACETONE SOLUTION". In addition, the concentration of the
mixture or solution may also be indicated after the basic description of the mixture or solution, for
example, "ACETONE 75% SOLUTION".
A solution or mixture meeting the classification criteria of ADR that is not mentioned by name in
Table A of Chapter 3.2 and that is composed of two or more dangerous goods shall be assigned to an
entry that has the proper shipping name, description, class, classification code and packing group that
most precisely describe the solution or mixture.