Chemical & industrial
Chemical customers do not buy totes, they buy documentation that happens to come wrapped around 275 gallons. We built our record-keeping for exactly this audience.
- Sheet
- 79
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
Match the chemistry before the container
HDPE handles an enormous range of chemistry and fails hard at a narrow slice of it. This is the short version of the chart we keep by the phone.
| Chemistry | HDPE bottle | Gasket | Our call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caustic soda to 50% | Excellent | EPDM | Standard reconditioned tote |
| Sulphuric acid to 70% | Good | EPDM | Dedicated tote, no reuse across chemistries |
| Sodium hypochlorite | Good, vents required | EPDM | Vented cap mandatory |
| Hydrogen peroxide (<35%) | Good, passivated | EPDM | New or one-trip bottle only |
| Aromatic solvents | Poor | Viton | Steel IBC instead |
| Chlorinated solvents | Poor | Viton | Steel IBC instead |
| Glycols, surfactants | Excellent | EPDM | Grade B is plenty |
| Mineral & motor oils | Excellent | EPDM/Viton | Hot caustic wash before reuse |
- UN marking
- 31HA1 composite IBC, Y and X packing groups available
- Re-test interval
- 2.5 years leak-tightness, 5 years full re-test per US DOT practice
- Gasket options
- EPDM standard, Viton for aggressive chemistry
- Venting
- Vented caps for off-gassing products; pressure-relief lids available
- Dedication
- We can dedicate serial ranges to a single chemistry on request
Three mistakes that cost chemical customers real money
- Buying a cheap tote with an unreadable UN code, then discovering it cannot legally ship the product it was bought for.
- Reusing a tote across incompatible chemistries without a validated wash record — one incident ends the savings permanently.
- Letting empties accumulate past the point where the residue dries into the bottle, converting a sellable asset into a disposal cost.
The file a chemical customer actually needs
| Document | What it evidences | When you need it | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN plate photograph | Design type, packing group, legibility | Before every regulated fill | 7 years |
| Last-contents declaration | Chemistry history and concentration | On every transfer of custody | 7 years |
| Cleaning certificate | Cycle, temperature, operator, pH | Before changing chemistry | 7 years |
| Re-test record | Leak-tightness and full re-test dates | For regulated transport | Life of the container |
| Rebuild record | Bottle lot, parts, leak test | After any rebottle | 7 years |
| Dedication record | Serial range reserved to one chemistry | Where cross-loading is unacceptable | 7 years |
- Dedicated serial ranges
- Available on request, enforced in our own records
- Viton gaskets
- Standard option for aggressive chemistry
- Vented caps
- Mandatory on hypochlorite and anything that off-gasses
- Re-test intervals
- 2.5 years leak-tightness, 5 years full, US practice
- What we refuse
- Acute hazardous residue, TSCA material, restricted-use pesticides
- Who signs as generator
- You. Always. We will say so rather than leaving it vague
- Photograph the plate at intake and store the image against your own asset number. Four seconds, and it is the cheapest compliance habit in this industry.
- Dedicate containers per chemistry. One incident ends the savings from cross-loading permanently.
- Match the gasket to the chemistry, not to the price. EPDM for water, caustic and ag; Viton for oils, fuels and aromatics.
- Keep the re-test records with the serial, not in a binder nobody can find.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which UN rating do chemical customers ask for most?
The most requested rating is 31HA1, a composite IBC. Y and X packing groups are available. Check that the UN code is readable before you buy, since an unreadable code can stop a tote shipping its intended product.
When do I need a Viton gasket instead of EPDM?
EPDM is standard. Viton is the option for aggressive chemistry, such as mineral and motor oils. Check your own SDS and exposure conditions before filling, since our chart is guidance only.
Which chemicals should not go in an HDPE tote?
Aromatic and chlorinated solvents are poor matches for HDPE. Those need a steel IBC. Glycols and surfactants suit HDPE well. For solvents we route you to steel instead of selling the wrong container.
Can you dedicate totes to one chemical?
Yes. On request we can reserve serial ranges to a single chemistry and enforce that in our own records. This avoids cross-loading where it is unacceptable.
What documents do you keep and for how long?
We keep UN plate photos, last-contents declarations, cleaning certificates, rebuild records and dedication records for 7 years. Re-test records are kept for the life of the container. You always sign as generator.