Cargo Liquefaction and Its Effects on Ship

GLOBAL MARITIME CONGRESS, İstanbul, Turkey, 20 - 22 May 2024, pp.53-55, (Full Text)

One well-known risk associated with shipping solid bulk

freight is cargo liquefaction. Many marine casualties have lost

their life due to cargo liquefaction in the past few decades.

The process by which a solid material becomes almost

fluid is called liquefaction. Numerous common minerals,

such as nickel, iron ore, and various mineral concentrates,

can liquefy. Solid bulk cargoes are typically loosely packed

granular materials. When the cargo is wet during loading

it might be susceptible to liquefaction. Liquefaction can be

seen in some specific types of dry bulk cargoes where moisture

content exceeds their transportable moisture limit. The most

hazardous consequence of liquefaction for a vessel is cargo

movement, which leads to instability. The main effect is the

vessel’s loss of stability (decrease or loss of GM) due to the

cargo liquefying, as it causes the vessel to list dangerously

to one side. In some instances, the angle of heel continues to

increase, resulting in the vessel listing heavily, down flooding

or even capsizing, leading to the loss of the vessel, its cargo,

and its crew.