CBIL
Petroleum & Energy
All Alkali Chemicals

Calcium Hypochlorite & Sodium Hypochlorite

65–70% granular cal hypo and hypochlorite solutions for water treatment

Hypochlorites are the chlorine that water treatment can handle without a gas cylinder, and they come in two very different forms. Calcium hypochlorite (HS 2828.10) is a dry granular or tablet product at 65–70% available chlorine, used to disinfect drinking water, wells, swimming pools, water tanks and supply pipes, and to treat industrial wastewater; buyers specify available chlorine at packing, moisture, granule size and whether tablets are wanted. Sodium hypochlorite (within HS 2828.90) is a liquid bleach solution, commonly around 10–12.5%, that loses strength in storage: a 12.5% solution can lose about a fifth of its available chlorine in 28 days at room temperature, and faster in heat and sunlight, which is why it is made close to the user and rarely shipped far. Calcium hypochlorite is a class 5.1 oxidiser: UN 1748 for dry material above 39% available chlorine, UN 2880 for the hydrated form with 5.5–16% water, and UN 3485–3487 for corrosive variants. It reacts violently with organic contamination, releasing heat and oxygen that defeat a ship's smothering systems, and misdeclared calcium hypochlorite has been blamed for fires on container ships including Charlotte Maersk, Maersk Seoul, Hanjin Pennsylvania and APL Austria. The IMDG rules and P&I club guidance that followed limit packages to drums of up to 45 kg, bar bags, sacks, IBCs and bulk containers, cap a dry container at 14 tonnes and set temperature limits. Sodium hypochlorite solution is UN 1791, class 8 corrosive. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2828.10 total about USD 213 million: China USD 131 million and 120,000 MT, India USD 23 million and 47,000 MT, the USA USD 15 million and Japan USD 1.7 million. Those are declared export values, not offers.

The buyer is a water-treatment chemicals distributor, a pool-chemicals distributor, a humanitarian or WASH programme supplier, a food or beverage plant sanitising water, a mine or oil and gas camp, or a wastewater operator. Documents are the certificate of analysis (COA) with available chlorine at packing, the safety data sheet (SDS), the dangerous-goods declaration and container packing certificate, a certificate of origin, REACH or biocide authorisation cover where the destination requires it. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers calcium hypochlorite granules and tablets from Chinese, Indian, US and Japanese producers in 45 kg drums and smaller pails, packed and stowed to the IMDG entries, and sodium hypochlorite solutions from producers near the buyer, on FOB, CFR, CIF and DAP terms. Price is per MT and depends on available chlorine, form and pack. Send the product, available chlorine, form, pack, monthly volume and discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

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Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.

Indicative reference

Per MT, on grade and pack USD / MT

as at September 2026

IncotermsFOB · CFR · CIF · DAP
OriginsChina, India, USA, Japan
PackagingCal hypo: 45 kg HDPE drums, smaller pails, max 14 MT per dry container · Sodium hypo: IBCs, drums, road tankers
HS Code2828.10 / 2828.90

Reference level only — not an offer, and reviewed quarterly. Levels shown are as at September 2026. Firm pricing is quoted per RFQ, subject to volume, terms and inspection.

Typical Specification

Available Chlorine (cal hypo)65–70% at packing
Moisture (cal hypo)Per UN entry and grade
UN Number (cal hypo)UN 1748 (dry) / UN 2880 (hydrated), class 5.1
Max Package (cal hypo)45 kg drums
Sodium HypochloriteUN 1791, class 8
Shelf Life (sodium hypo)Strength falls with time and heat

Specifications are indicative and adjusted to the agreed contract and destination requirements. Final spec confirmed on COA / SGS.

Available Grades

Calcium Hypochlorite 65% GranularCalcium Hypochlorite 70% GranularCalcium Hypochlorite TabletsSodium Hypochlorite Solution 10–12.5%

Applications

  • Drinking water disinfection
  • Swimming pools
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Well, tank & pipeline disinfection
  • Food & beverage plant sanitation
  • Emergency & WASH water supply

Category

Petroleum & Energy

Incoterms

FOB · CFR · CIF · DAP

Pricing basis

USD / MT

Inspection

SGS / Intertek at load port

Calcium Hypochlorite & Sodium Hypochlorite — buyer questions

What are the UN numbers for calcium hypochlorite?

UN 1748 for dry calcium hypochlorite above 39% available chlorine, UN 2880 for the hydrated form with 5.5–16% water, UN 2208 for dry mixtures of 10–39% available chlorine, and UN 3485–3487 for corrosive variants. All are class 5.1 oxidisers. The producer's SDS and the lot's moisture decide which entry applies.

Why is calcium hypochlorite so tightly controlled at sea?

It decomposes violently with heat or organic contamination and releases oxygen, which defeats a ship's gas smothering system. Misdeclared cargoes have been blamed for fires on ships including Charlotte Maersk, Maersk Seoul, Hanjin Pennsylvania and APL Austria. Current rules limit it to drums of up to 45 kg, no bags or IBCs, at most 14 tonnes in a dry container, with temperature limits, and it must be declared correctly.

Why is sodium hypochlorite made locally?

It loses strength in storage: a 12.5% solution can lose about 20% of its available chlorine in 28 days at room temperature, faster in heat and light. It is also UN 1791, class 8 corrosive. Long voyages cost strength and money, so buyers source it from producers close to the plant, and import calcium hypochlorite when they need a stable dry product.

Which countries export calcium hypochlorite?

UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2828.10 total about USD 213 million: China USD 131 million and 120,000 MT, India USD 23 million and 47,000 MT, the USA USD 15 million and Japan USD 1.7 million. Those are declared values, not offers.