N.O.S. entries: when you must add a technical name
Many table entries are generic — "Flammable liquid, n.o.s.", "Corrosive liquid, n.o.s.", "Environmentally hazardous substance, liquid, n.o.s.". The letters n.o.s. mean "not otherwise specified": the entry covers a category, not a single chemical. Because the name alone doesn't tell a responder what's actually in the package, 49 CFR 172.203(k) requires you to add the technical name of the hazardous component in parentheses right after the proper shipping name.
So "UN1993, Flammable liquid, n.o.s." becomes "UN1993, Flammable liquid, n.o.s. (contains xylene, toluene), 3, PG II". The technical name is a recognized chemical name, not a trade name or a generic group — "contains xylene" is fine, "contains solvent" is not.
This tool flags every n.o.s. entry and will not build the description until you supply a technical name, which is the single most common omission that gets a shipping paper kicked back.
Open the generator — free, no upload
Naming the component correctly
- Identify the hazardous constituent(s) that make the material meet its hazard class.
- Use the recognized chemical name, not a brand or trade name.
- For a mixture, name the component(s) that predominate in the hazard, generally at least two.
- Place the name(s) in parentheses immediately after the proper shipping name.
Questions
Can I use a trade name?
No. 172.203(k) requires a recognized technical (chemical) name. Trade names and generic terms like "solvent" or "acid" do not satisfy the rule.
How many components do I list?
Generally the technical name(s) of at least the two components that most predominate the hazard, unless a single component is responsible for the hazard.
Are there exceptions?
Some entries marked with special provisions, and some materials whose technical name is itself a trade secret, have specific handling — but the default for n.o.s. entries is that a technical name is required.