A Drum is a cylindrical industrial packaging unit, typically 200 or 220 kilograms gross capacity, used for the transport of liquid and solid chemicals. Drums come in several material constructions, steel, HDPE plastic, fibre, and lined or coated variants, each with specific cargo compatibility profiles. The drum is the standard parcel-size packaging for chemical shipments where the IBC scale is unjustified, and drum-handling infrastructure (forklift slip-sheets, drum lifters, drum pumps) is universally available at chemical-importing destinations.
Drum types and UN codes
| UN code | Description | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1A1 | Steel drum, non-removable head (closed-head, sealed) | Liquid chemicals, sulphuric acid, methanol, MEG, glycerin |
| 1A2 | Steel drum, removable head (open-head with locking ring) | Solid or paste chemicals; viscous liquids |
| 1H1 | Plastic drum (HDPE), non-removable head | Caustic, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite |
| 1H2 | Plastic drum (HDPE), removable head | Solid chemicals; viscous liquids |
| 1G | Fibre drum (multi-wall paperboard) | Solid chemicals, most powders, granules, crystals |
| 1B1, 1B2 | Aluminium drum | Specialty cargoes where steel or HDPE is incompatible |
| 1D | Plywood drum | Less common; specific solid chemicals |
| 1N | Metal other than steel or aluminium | Specialty corrosion-resistant alloys |
For routine chemical sourcing the most common are 1A1 (steel for many liquids), 1H1 (HDPE for caustic and dilute acids), and 1G (fibre for solids). The drum marking includes UN code, packing group letter (X / Y / Z for PG I / II / III), test mass, year of manufacture, country, manufacturer ID, and stack-test rating.
Standard drum dimensions
Most drums converge on standard 200/220 kg formats:
| Dimension | 200 kg drum | 220 kg drum |
|---|---|---|
| Height | ~870 mm | ~870 mm |
| Diameter | ~570 mm | ~590 mm |
| Capacity (water) | 200 L | 220 L |
| Empty mass (steel) | 18-22 kg | 20-25 kg |
| Empty mass (HDPE) | 8-10 kg | 9-11 kg |
| Empty mass (fibre) | 3-5 kg | 4-6 kg |
The 200-kg vs 220-kg choice is driven by cargo specific gravity. A drum holding 200 L of caustic soda solution at SG 1.5 weighs 300 kg net plus drum tare, exceeding handling limits. The same drum filled with water-density cargo (SG 1.0) is 200 kg net, the standard fill.
Container loading for drums:
| Container | Drums (200 kg) | Drums (220 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-foot ISO | 80 drums (20 pallets × 4 drums per pallet) | 80 drums |
| 40-foot ISO | 160-180 drums | 160-180 drums |
| 40-foot High Cube | 180-200 drums (with double-stack on lighter loads) | similar |
Most drum-format chemical imports book in 20-foot containers because the cargo weight at 80 × 200 kg = 16 MT plus drum and pallet tare is close to the standard 20-foot container weight limit (~22 MT cargo). Heavier per-drum cargo necessitates fewer drums per container.
Cargo-compatibility selection
The drum-material choice is driven by cargo:
- Steel drums (1A1, 1A2): most non-aggressive liquids, neutral solvents, sulphuric acid (concentrated), most non-corrosive industrial liquids. Steel is incompatible with strong reducing acids (concentrated HCl) and chlorinated cargoes that release acid hydrolysis products.
- HDPE drums (1H1, 1H2): caustic soda solutions, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid (most concentrations), most aqueous corrosive cargoes. HDPE is incompatible with strong oxidisers, aromatic and chlorinated solvents (which can swell HDPE), and high-temperature cargoes (HDPE softens above ~80°C).
- Fibre drums (1G): most powdered or granular solid cargoes, citric acid, urea, sodium bicarbonate, many salts. Fibre drums are not water-resistant and cannot hold liquids.
For lined-drum variants (lined drum, HDPE drum), specialty linings address specific compatibility gaps.
When drum is the right packaging
Drum is the right choice for:
- Parcel-size cargo (1-20 MT) that does not justify IBC or ISO tank
- Cargoes with strict drum-discipline downstream usage (e.g. R&D batches, custom chemistry where drum-by-drum traceability matters)
- Buyers with drum-handling infrastructure but not bulk-tank infrastructure
- Multi-cargo shipments where different chemicals must be physically separated, each cargo in its own drums with clear labelling
When drum is the wrong packaging
Drum is wrong for:
- Volume bulk shipments above ~25 MT per shipment. IBC or ISO tank is more economical per tonne
- Buyer-side automated handling infrastructure that expects IBC pallet-format input
- Cargoes prone to spillage during dispense where drum-pump operations introduce contamination risk
Drum reconditioning and disposal
After discharge, drums become either:
- Reconditioned for reuse by drum service companies. Steel drums clean and recoat well; HDPE drums clean to a lower-quality reuse standard. Fibre drums are not typically reconditioned.
- Disposed at destination as industrial waste, typically at USD 5-25 per drum disposal cost
- Returned to the supplier for reuse in long-term supply arrangements (rare for international shipments due to repositioning cost)
For UN-certified drums, recertification is required every 2 years for liquids and every 5 years for solids per IMDG. A reconditioned drum with expired UN certification cannot ship DG cargo until recertified.
Operator note: the drum-tare-discipline issue
A common Chinese-export quality issue is drum tare not matching the declared figure. The factory declares 22 kg tare per drum on the packing list; the actual drum weighs 24 kg. On an 80-drum shipment that is 160 kg of weight discrepancy, which can show up as:
- Customs valuation dispute (if duty is on net weight)
- Container weight overage triggering port charges
- COA reconciliation issue (declared net cargo vs actual)
For volume buyers, weighing a sample of empty drums and recording the actual tare on the receiving inspection report helps catch and resolve these discrepancies.
Related terms
IBC is the next size up (1,000 kg vs 200 kg). ISO tank is the bulk-liquid alternative. Fibre drum covers the 1G fibreboard variant. HDPE drum covers the 1H1/1H2 plastic variants. Lined drum covers steel drums with internal corrosion-resistant linings. IMDG Class 3 and Class 8 are the most common drum-shipped DG categories.