Class 8, corrosive substances, packing group I and II: the UN containers that may carry it under ADR 2025, the largest of each, and its limited quantity.
UN 2031 covers nitric acid in 3 entries of the Dangerous Goods List: Class 8, corrosive substances, packing groups I and II. The packing group on your safety data sheet sets the container: UN jerricans of up to 60 L in every packing group, drums of up to 450 L (250 L in packing group I) and IBCs of up to 3,000 L in packing group II.
| Proper shipping name | Class | Packing group | Limited quantity | Packing instruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NITRIC ACID, other than red fuming, with more than 70% nitric acid | 8 | I | None | P001 |
| NITRIC ACID, other than red fuming, with at least 65%, but not more than 70% nitric acid | 8 | II | 1 L | P001, IBC02 |
| NITRIC ACID, other than red fuming, with less than 65% nitric acid | 8 | II | 1 L | P001, IBC02 |
Class 8 covers substances that destroy skin or corrode metal (ADR 2.2.8). Packing group I is for the fastest-acting, II for the next band and III for the slowest, including liquids that corrode steel or aluminium faster than 6.25 mm a year at 55 °C.
Packing group I means high danger, II medium danger and III low danger (ADR 2.1.1.3). The group sets how strong the container must be: the UN mark shows X for packing group I, Y for II and Z for III, and a higher level covers the lower groups.
Each entry below shows the UN container types its packing instruction allows and the largest of each. Read the entry whose name matches section 14 of your safety data sheet.
| Container type | UN codes | Largest allowed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerrican, closed head | 3A1, 3H1, 3B1 | 60 L | Permitted |
| Jerrican, removable head | 3A2, 3H2, 3B2 | 60 L | Viscous liquids only |
| Drum, closed head | 1A1, 1H1, 1B1 | 250 L | Permitted |
| Drum, removable head | 1A2, 1H2, 1B2 | 250 L | Viscous liquids only |
| Plastic receptacle in a steel drum | 6HA1 | 250 L | Permitted |
| IBC | 31A, 31H1, 31HZ1 | – | Not allowed |
Only liquids with a viscosity above 2 680 mm²/s may go in a removable-head drum or jerrican in packing group I (P001, note a).
IBCs are not allowed for packing group I.
These are the sizes the packing instruction allows. The container must also resist the liquid (4.1.1.2): chemical compatibility by liquid
Special packing provisions
PP81 For UN No. 1790 with more than 60% but not more than 85% hydrogen fluoride and UN No. 2031 with more than 55% nitric acid, the permitted use of plastics drums and jerricans as single packagings shall be two years from their date of manufacture.
| Container type | UN codes | Largest allowed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerrican, closed head | 3A1, 3H1, 3B1 | 60 L | Permitted |
| Jerrican, removable head | 3A2, 3H2, 3B2 | 60 L | Permitted |
| Drum, closed head | 1A1, 1H1, 1B1 | 450 L | Permitted |
| Drum, removable head | 1A2, 1H2, 1B2 | 450 L | Permitted |
| Plastic receptacle in a steel drum | 6HA1 | 250 L | Permitted |
| IBC | 31A, 31B, 31N, 31H1, 31H2, 31HZ1 | 3,000 L | Permitted |
Special packing provisions
B15 For UN No. 2031 with more than 55% nitric acid, the permitted use of rigid plastics IBCs and of rigid plastics inner receptacles of composite IBCs with a rigid plastics inner receptacle shall be two years from their date of manufacture.
| Container type | UN codes | Largest allowed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerrican, closed head | 3A1, 3H1, 3B1 | 60 L | Permitted |
| Jerrican, removable head | 3A2, 3H2, 3B2 | 60 L | Permitted |
| Drum, closed head | 1A1, 1H1, 1B1 | 450 L | Permitted |
| Drum, removable head | 1A2, 1H2, 1B2 | 450 L | Permitted |
| Plastic receptacle in a steel drum | 6HA1 | 250 L | Permitted |
| IBC | 31A, 31B, 31N, 31H1, 31H2, 31HZ1 | 3,000 L | Permitted |
Special packing provisions
Our containers for this entry
25L Stackable Plastic Jerrycan25 litres3H1UN version available
Fluorinated HDPE Jerrycan5, 10, 20, 25 and 30 litres3H1UN version available
Antistatic HDPE Jerrycan5, 10, 20, 25 and 30 litres3H1UN version available
Wide-Mouth HDPE Jerrycan — UN 3H2 pattern10, 20 and 25 litres3H2UN version available
Round PP Bucket, 2.5L to 20L2.5 to 20 litres, eighteen sizes1H2UN status: ask usHave a container already? Check its UN mark against this UN number →
Yes. P001 lists plastic jerricans (3H1) for UN 2031 up to 60 L in packing group II, with a UN mark showing X or Y.
Two more rules apply. The container must resist the liquid (ADR 4.1.1.2), so check the material against the substance before you fill. A plastic drum or jerrican for dangerous goods may be used for five years from its date of manufacture (ADR 4.1.1.15); steel has no such limit.
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It depends on the entry: none in packing group I, 1 L in packing group II. The figures are column 7a of ADR 2025 Table A.
Under ADR chapter 3.4, a liquid in inner packagings no larger than that figure travels under reduced rules. The combination packaging may weigh up to 30 kg gross (20 kg on a shrink-wrapped tray), and it carries the limited quantity mark in place of the hazard labels.
ADR limited quantities and the 1,000-point rule · ADR 1,000-point calculator
ADR covers road transport in Europe, and RID rail uses the same list. By sea the IMDG Code has its own Dangerous Goods List, and by air the ICAO Technical Instructions and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations do. The class and packing group of UN 2031 normally match across them, but the packing instructions and the limits differ, so check the list for the mode you ship by.
In the US, the Hazardous Materials Table in 49 CFR 172.101 applies, and some materials carry an NA number there in place of a UN number. US rules call a UN-marked container specification packaging.
UN specification packaging · Dangerous goods transport · Packing groups explained
| UN number | Name | Class | Packing groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1832 | Sulphuric acid, spent | 8 | II |
| UN 1840 | Zinc chloride solution | 8 | III |
| UN 1848 | Propionic acid, 10% to under 90% | 8 | III |
| UN 1903 | Disinfectant, liquid, corrosive, n.o.s. | 8 | I, II, III |
| UN 1908 | Chlorite solution | 8 | II, III |
| UN 2079 | Diethylenetriamine (DETA) | 8 | II |
| UN 2209 | Formaldehyde solution | 8 | III |
| UN 2218 | Acrylic acid, stabilized | 8 | II |
Fortitude21 makes UN-certified steel and plastic jerricans, certified per design type and made under quality assurance the competent authority accepts, plus pails and the spill pallets and bunds a store needs. The cards above match our range to each entry by UN code; where a card says to ask, we confirm the certificate for that design before you order.
UN 2031 is the UN number for nitric acid: Class 8, corrosive substances, packing group I and II. In packing group II it may travel in a UN jerrican of up to 60 L, a drum of up to 450 L or an IBC of up to 3,000 L.
Class 8, corrosive substances. Class 8 covers substances that destroy skin or corrode metal (ADR 2.2.8). Packing group I is for the fastest-acting, II for the next band and III for the slowest, including liquids that corrode steel or aluminium faster than 6.25 mm a year at 55 °C.
It depends on the entry: UN 2031 has 3 entries across packing groups I and II. Use the packing group in section 14 of the safety data sheet.
Yes, in packing group II: the entry lists IBC02, which allows metal, rigid plastics and composite IBCs of up to 3,000 L. Packing group I may not use an IBC.
It depends on the entry: none in packing group I, 1 L in packing group II. The figures are column 7a of ADR 2025 Table A.
The standards and regulations this page relies on, at their issuing body. Where a market rule is named here, check the current revision before you specify against it.
Data: ADR 2025 Table A as published in RID 2025 by OTIF, read on 6 October 2026, through the same engine as our UN number packaging finder. Check the current list before you ship.
Send the UN number, the packing group and the size. We reply with the design certified for it, the plant named on its certificate, and a price.