UN Class

DEFINITION OF UN CLASS

For storage and transport of hazardous materials, a standard big bag is not strong enough. For these kind of materials there need to be obeyed stricter regulations and they require a special big bag; UN certified big bags.

These big bags are manufactured, tested, and certified for a wide range of goods in environments where there is risk of fire, explosion, chemical burns, toxic contamination or environmental damage.

A UN big bag is a flexible intermediate bulk container specifically designed to transport/store hazardous materials and it must meet the various specifications and standards set out by the United Nations in order to be properly classified as UN bags.

There are four types of FIBCs for dangerous goods made from woven plastics:
13 H 1: Woven plastics without coating and without liner.
13 H 2: Woven plastics, coated and without liner.
13 H 3: Woven plastics, uncoated and with liner.
13 H 4: Woven plastics, coated and with liner.
UN Bags are also classified according to the Hazard level of goods they carry. Each UN Bag shall carry the UN-Symbol mentioned in the below table which shall imply the hazard level of the product.

Degree of danger	Packing group	UN Symbol	Max Volume	Drop Test Height
High	I	X	1.5㎥	180cm
Medium	II	Y	3.0㎥	120cm
Low	III	Z	3.0㎥	80cm

All UN Bags are treated as multi-trip bags even though there is no safety factor 6:1. This term is unknown in the UN regulations.

UN bags are not classified by safety factors. They are instead classified by packing groups I, II or III. The safety factor 6:1 refers to FIBCs for non-dangerous goods only.

13H2/Y/ ./H/
ALBEL/GYS/01/02449/1/16 / 3618 / 1005

Additionally UN FIBC must be marked with a stacking load pictogram.

UN TEST

Top Lift Test: The big bag is loaded with six times its maximum gross mass and kept under this weight for 5 minutes. The big bag must not have any damage from this.

Drop Test: The big bag is loaded with its maximum permissible gross mass and dropped from a) 1.2m if packaging group II and b) 0.8m if packaging group III. The UN bag shall not have loss of content.

Topple Test: The UN bag is toppled from a) 1.2m height if packaging group II and b) 0.8m height if packaging group III. The bag shall not have loss of material.

Righting Test: The UN bag is fully filled with its maximum permissible weight. The UN bag lying on its side is then lifted with a speed of 0.1m/s to upright position. The bag shall not have damage from this.

Stacking Test: The big bag is loaded to its maximum allowable gross weight. Than 1.8 times the maximum stacking weight is loaded on top of the test bag for 24 hours. The big bag passes the test if there is no deterioration of the body or loss of content.

Tear Test: A 10cm hole is cut with a knife into a fully loaded UN bag. Then the double of the maximum gross load is applied to the UN bag for 5 minutes. The UN big bag is then lifted for 5 minutes. The UN bag passes if the hole does not increase by more than 25%.