Methyl bromide
Methyl bromide (MB) is a fumigant gas approved under ISPM 15 for treating wood packaging, shown by the code MB on the mark. It is being phased out and some countries no longer accept it, so heat treatment (HT) is now the normal choice for export pallets.
Also called MB, MB fumigation
Reviewed
How MB fits into ISPM 15
ISPM 15 accepts four treatments for wood packaging: heat treatment (HT), dielectric heating (DH), methyl bromide (MB) and sulfuryl fluoride (SF). A fumigated pallet carries the code MB on its ISPM 15 mark. In the US, MB treatment runs under a separate export fumigation program from the ALSC heat-treatment program.
Why MB is declining
- Methyl bromide is being phased out internationally, and some countries ban MB-treated wood packaging
- Heat treatment needs no chemicals and is accepted everywhere ISPM 15 applies
- Many pallet mills have their own HT chambers, so HT is easy to source
What to specify
For export pallets, specify HT unless the buyer has a specific reason for another method. If a supplier offers MB, check the destination country's current rules first. See export pallet.
Questions
- Are methyl bromide pallets still allowed?
- MB is still an ISPM 15 treatment, but it is being phased out and some countries refuse it. Heat treatment is the safer choice.
Related
- Heat treatmentHeat treatment (HT) heats pallet wood until its core reaches 56 °C for 30 minutes, the ISPM 15 treatment that lets wood pallets cross borders. Marked HT.
- ISPM 15 markThe ISPM 15 mark is the stamp showing wood packaging was treated for export: the IPPC wheat symbol, country code, producer number and treatment code such as HT.
- ISPM 15: heat treatment and marking for export palletsISPM 15 requires export wood pallets to be debarked and treated, usually heat treated to 56 °C core for 30 minutes, and stamped with the IPPC mark.
- Export pallet: what international shipments requireAn export pallet must meet ISPM 15 (heat treated and stamped) if made of solid wood, and should match the destination's footprint. Options, sizes and specs.
- Nominal loadNominal load is the ISO 8611 comparison rating from a standard rigid-beam test. It is used to compare pallets, not the payload a pallet can carry in service.
- NotchA notch is a cutout in the bottom of a pallet stringer for fork tines. The Uniform Standard recommends about a 2 x 9 in opening with rounded corners.
Sources
- ISPM 15 overview (Wikipedia)
- ISPM 15 stamp explained (Acadon)
- Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets (NWPCA, now Woodpack Global), 2012 edition