Summary. A bulk road tanker of a Class 3 alcohol solvent such as n-butanol (UN 1120) is accepted in four steps: check the paperwork, make the area safe, bond and ground before connecting, and compare a sample against the batch Certificate of Analysis before the product goes into your tank. Product facts below come from our safety data sheet and technical data sheet; the receiving practice is general guidance, and your own site rules and engineers have the last word.
Why a receiving checklist matters for n-butanol
n-Butanol (NBA, CAS 71-36-3) is supplied by Supreme Petro Chemicals by bulk road tanker. Our safety data sheet classes it as a Category 3 flammable liquid with a flash point of 35 C (closed cup), harmful if swallowed, a skin irritant, and a cause of serious eye damage. A tanker unloading combines a large volume, a flammable vapour and a transfer hose, so the receiving step is where most of the risk and most of the quality checks sit. For what the product is used for, see our n-butanol uses guide.
The checklist below applies in the same general way to other Class 3 alcohol solvents such as isobutanol and IPA, though each product has its own safety data sheet that you should read first.
Before the tanker arrives: tank and site readiness
Most receiving problems are decided before the vehicle reaches the gate. This section is general guidance for your planning; adapt it to your site procedures.
- Confirm the destination tank. Name the tank in writing, check that it is assigned to this product, and check how much free capacity it has against the quantity ordered, so that the transfer cannot overfill it.
- Check what the tank last held. The SDS lists strong oxidisers (nitric acid, chlorine, permanganates, peroxides), concentrated acids and halogens as incompatible. A tank or line that previously held any of these must not receive the alcohol until your engineers have cleared it.
- Inspect hoses, gaskets and fittings. Confirm with your own engineering team that the materials suit alcohol solvents, and that connections are tight and undamaged.
- Arrange the people. Name who accepts the paperwork, who samples, who connects the hose and who watches the tank level. A single person doing all four is how steps get skipped.
- Prepare sample containers. Have clean, dry, labelled containers ready, and agree with your quality team which tests will be run on the spot.
- Brief the team. Share the safety data sheet with everyone on the unloading team before the tanker arrives, not while it is standing at the bay.
Step 1: verify the documents before the tanker is connected
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| Batch Certificate of Analysis | Supplied with every delivery. Check product name, CAS 71-36-3, batch identity and every specification row against your order. |
| Safety data sheet | Confirm the product is n-butanol, UN 1120, BUTANOLS, Class 3, Packing Group III. Brief the unloading team on it. |
| Technical data sheet | SPC-TDS-ALC-005 lists the grade and the six specification parameters. |
| Delivery paperwork and invoice | Quantity, product name, consignee and vehicle details should match your purchase order. |
| Hazard marking on the vehicle | The marking should be consistent with a Class 3 flammable liquid, UN 1120, as shown on the safety data sheet. |
If the documents do not match the order, stop and call the supplier before connecting anything.
Reading the Certificate of Analysis
For n-butanol, compare the certificate with these limits from the technical data sheet:
| Parameter | Limit |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear colourless liquid |
| Normal Butanol | 99.50 wt% min |
| Colour | 10 APHA max |
| Acidity (as acetic acid) | 0.01 wt% max |
| Aldehyde | 0.05 wt% max |
| Water | 0.10 wt% max |
Check the units as well as the numbers. An assay in weight percent and an assay in volume percent are not the same thing. Check that each result sits on the correct side of its limit: Normal Butanol must be at or above its 99.50 wt% minimum; colour, acidity, aldehyde and water must be at or below their maximums; appearance must match the stated description. Check that the batch identity on the certificate matches the identity on the delivery paperwork. If anything is unclear, ask us before the product is transferred, and ask which producer the batch comes from.
Step 2: make the unloading area safe
Our safety data sheet gives the following basis for the preparations.
- Remove ignition sources. Flammability limits in air are 1.4% to 11.2% v/v, and the vapour density is 2.6 (air = 1) per the SDS, so the vapour is heavier than air and sits low. Keep ignition sources away from the unloading area and from low points.
- Control vapour. The SDS calls for local exhaust ventilation and keeping the liquid away from ignition sources. Using explosion-proof electrical equipment in the area is general guidance for flammable liquids; confirm with your own safety officer.
- Keep PPE ready. The SDS names nitrile, butyl, neoprene, PVC or laminate gloves, splash goggles plus a face shield for transfer, and an organic-vapour respirator if ventilation is inadequate.
- Check eyewash and safety shower work and are reachable. Eye contact can cause serious eye damage (H318).
- Know the fire response. Use alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical, carbon dioxide or water fog; do not use a direct high-pressure water jet.
Step 3: bond, ground and connect
The SDS instruction is to ground and bond containers and use grounded equipment. In practice:
- Connect the bonding and grounding leads between the tanker, the hose and the receiving system before opening any valve.
- Confirm the receiving tank is the correct tank for this product and is clean and free of incompatible material.
- Confirm the tank, hose and gasket materials are compatible with alcohol solvents. This is a point for your own engineering team to confirm.
- Start the transfer slowly and watch for leaks at every joint.
Step 4: sample against the Certificate of Analysis
Sampling practice is general guidance. Agree the method with your quality team beforehand.
- Draw a sample from the tanker before transfer, using clean, dry, correctly labelled sample containers.
- Check appearance on the spot: it should be clear and colourless, free from haze or visible particles.
- Keep a retained sample sealed and labelled with the batch details in case of a later query.
- Run the tests your process cares about, such as water, and compare to the Certificate of Analysis limits.
- If a result is outside the limits, hold the product and contact the supplier before it is mixed with other material.
Step 5: spills, exposure and first aid
First aid rows below follow section 4 of our safety data sheet. The spill row is general good practice for flammable liquids; section 6 of the safety data sheet is the authority and your site emergency plan applies.
| Situation | Response |
|---|---|
| Spill (general guidance, see SDS section 6) | Remove ignition sources, ventilate, wear the PPE listed above, contain the liquid, keep it out of drains and watercourses, and follow your site emergency plan and SDS section 6 for clean-up and disposal. |
| Eye contact (SDS section 4) | Rinse with water for at least 15 minutes and seek immediate medical attention. |
| Skin contact (SDS section 4) | Wash with soap and water. |
| Inhalation (SDS section 4) | Move to fresh air. |
| Ingestion (SDS section 4) | Rinse the mouth and do not induce vomiting. |
After unloading
- Close and secure all valves, then disconnect the hose and the bonding leads in that order.
- Record the quantity received, the batch details and the Certificate of Analysis results.
- Store in original, tightly closed compatible containers or the designated tank, away from ignition sources, food and feed.
- Dispose of rinse and waste through an authorised waste contractor under local rules.
Records to keep for every delivery
A tanker receipt is only as useful as the record it leaves behind. For each delivery, file the batch Certificate of Analysis together with the delivery paperwork, the name of the person who accepted it, the tank it went into and the quantity received. Add the result of any on-site test, such as appearance or water, with the date and the person who ran it, and note the identity of any retained sample and where it is stored. If a quality question arises weeks later, a record that ties batch, tank, certificate and sample together lets you and your supplier trace it quickly, whereas a missing link usually means the discussion starts from opinion rather than evidence. Keep these records for as long as your own quality system or customer requirements say; that period is for your site to decide.
Common receiving mistakes
- Connecting before checking paperwork. Once the hose is connected and the valve open, a mismatch becomes a contamination problem. Check first.
- Skipping the sample because the certificate looks fine. The certificate describes the batch; the sample confirms that what arrived at your gate is that batch.
- Using a tank that previously held an incompatible chemical. Confirm the history of the tank and the line, not just the tank label.
- Treating bonding as optional for short transfers. The SDS instruction to ground and bond applies whenever the liquid is moved.
- Relying on one person. Documents, sampling, connection and level watching are four jobs; give them to named people.
- Mixing up isomers. n-Butanol and isobutanol have different CAS numbers and different pages on our site; check the CAS number on every document.
- Not recording the batch. Without batch details on file, a later quality query cannot be traced.
If you need a different pack
Our record for n-butanol (NBA) lists bulk road tanker only, so this checklist assumes tanker receiving. If your site cannot receive a tanker, tell us in your enquiry rather than assuming another pack is available.
Get a quote
Send the product name with CAS 71-36-3, quantity and delivery location by WhatsApp on +91 86087 80096 or through the contact page. We quote within 4 working hours, and a batch Certificate of Analysis is supplied with every delivery. To line up quotes from several suppliers, see our guide on what moves the price of n-butanol and how to request a comparable quote. Supreme Petro Chemicals is a Chennai trader and bulk distributor. This guide is general receiving guidance and does not replace the safety data sheet or your own site procedures.