31.1 INTRODUCTION

Modern chemical tankers are arguably the most technologically advanced vessels of all the major commercial ship types. The complexity of these vessels results from the wide range of cargoes that they are designed to carry and the diverse nature and characteristics of these cargoes. Many of the cargoes carried on the modern chemical tanker are considered hazardous materials that require careful handling. Other cargoes are of high value in nature and require special care when transported to ensure cargo quality. The varied and often demanding requirements of the cargoes drives the use of advanced materials and equipment for cargo containment, cargo handling and care systems, and safety systems.

This chapter will focus on the design of oceangoing chemical tankers that are to operate with an International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (COF). These vessels are often called chemical parcel tankers, as they are designed to carry many different small lots, or parcels, of liquid cargo simultaneously. Alternatively, there are ships known as chemical/product tankers, which are less sophisticated than the chemical parcel tanker as they are designed to transport the full range of petroleum products as well as what are known as easy chemicals, such as octane and xylene. Chemical/ product tankers typically operate with a Noxious Liquid Substance Certificate (NLS) rather than a COF, which permits them to transport certain chemical cargoes with limited hazardous...