#93 WALL-WASH

The over-riding principle behind a wall wash and the subsequent analysis is:
Speed.
Agreement between the Chief Officer and the Surveyor.
Cleanliness.
Selecting a good part of the tank, in order to ensure a pass result.
(Select all applicable answers) A failed wall wash can result from:
Poor technique.
Dirty equipment.
Using a clean plastic spray bottle.
Traces of previous cargo.
(Select all applicable answers) The basic routine laboratory tests that we run
onboard include:
Appearance.
Ultra-Violet Spectrum.
Hydrocarbons.
Gas Chromatography.
Permanganate Fade Time tests are run for:
40 minutes.
1 hour.
As long as a customers specification requires.
As long as the Chief Officer chooses.
To assess the Appearance of a wall wash sample, we:
Send the sample ashore for laboratory analysis.
Examine the sample in good light and compare to a sample of good Methanol.
Add Silver Nitrate and look for cloudiness.
Heat a small sample of the wall wash and check for any residues remaining.
The two components in a Hydrocarbon test blank standard are:
Wall wash sample and Deionised Water.
Wall wash sample and Methanol.
Methanol and Silver Nitrate Solution.
Methanol and Deionised Water.
In a Permanganate Fade Time test using Methanol, at what temperature should
the samples be maintained?
25C.
15C.
10C.
Not more than 10C.
In a Permanganate Fade Time test, how long should the samples be allowed to
stabilise before the Permanganate solution is added?
At least 10 minutes.
Maximum 30 minutes.
2 minutes.
Approx 45 minutes.

The ratio and components used in the preparation of a Permanganate Solution

are:
0.2g Permanganate crystals to 0.5 ltr Deionised Water.
10.5g Permanganate crystals to 0.5 ltr Deionised Water.
0.1g Permanganate crystals to 0.5 ltr Methanol.
0.1g Permanganate crystals to 0.5 ltr Deionised Water.
Inhibitor in a previous cargo commonly affects Permanganate Fade Time test
results (True or False):
True.
False.
Under normal handling conditions, a Permanganate Solution will last for
approximately:
1 year.
1 month.
Indefinitely.
3-5 days.
In a Hydrocarbons test, the presence of slight Hydrocarbons is indicated by:
A milky white discoloration.
A silver sheen on the surface of the sample.
A translucent bluish tint.
A pale yellow haze.
To determine the presence of Chlorides in a wall wash sample, we add:
2 ml of 20% Potassium Permanganate Solution.
5 drops of 10% Silver Nitrate Solution.
2 mg of Potassium Permanganate crystals.
5 ml of 3% Hydrochloric Acid.
The most likely source of Hydrocarbons detected in a wall wash sample is:
Dust in the laboratory Methanol.
Polluted air drawn into the tank.
Traces of previous cargo.
Equipment failure.
Of the four problems listed below and assuming all are included in a customer
specification, which would be the priority?
Appearance (some suspended matter).
Moderate Hydrocarbons.
Heavy Chlorides.
Very slight Odour.
The Ultra-Violet Spectrum test is run to detect:
Acid.
Hydrocarbons.
High levels of solid particle impurities.
Low levels of dissolved impurities.

A drying-oven Non-Volatile Matter test cannot be effectively done on board a

ship because:
The equipment works on a different voltage.
Spares are difficult to obtain in many parts of the world.
A sufficiently stable and vibration-free platform cannot be provided for the required
measurements.
Ships laboratories cannot be maintained at constant room temperature.
The purpose of a wall wash is to determine:
Whether a tank meets customer cleanliness requirements.
If a tank is dry.
Whether a tank meets company maintenance requirements.
If a tank is safe to enter.
The dish used in a shore laboratory Non-Volatile Matter test is commonly made
from:
Potassium.
Stainless steel.
Platinum.
1Teflon coated metal
If Bleach products have been used in a tank cleaning process and not properly
rinsed away, the following is most likely to be noted in a wall wash analysis:
Hydrocarbons.
Colour.
Suspended Matter.
Chlorides.
Orange or red particles noted in a wall wash sample are an indication of the
presence of:
Hydrocarbons.
Rust particles.
Undissolved Potassium Permanganate.
Chlorides.
In a Permanganate Fade Time test, samples should be checked against the
standard at the following interval:
Every 10 minutes.
Every 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes and every 10 minutes thereafter.
Continuously.
The wall wash procedures in this programme, and those used by the majority of
shore laboratories, are built around industry standards issued by the following
organisation:
The American Society for Testing and Materials.
The American Petroleum Institute.
System International.
Det Norske Veritas.
Maintaining the samples at a constant temperature is a necessary part of the
Permanganate Fade Time test procedure. True or False?:
True.
False.
3

Where possible, a wall wash stream should be run for:

Maximum 1 metre.
Minimum 1 metre.
2 metres.
At least 0.5 metre.
A wall wash should not be taken from a hot bulkhead because:
Any contaminants will stick to the surface.
Any contaminants will evaporate.
Too much Methanol will evaporate.
The Officer (or Surveyor) will burn his hands.
A wall wash should not be taken from a wet bulkhead because:
Any contaminants will stick to the surface.
All contaminants will collect at the bottom of the bulkhead.
The Methanol will evaporate on contact with the moisture on the bulkhead.
Surface tension and dilution will lead to a less efficient wall wash.
Regular marker pens should not be used to identify sample jars because:
You may need to remark them at a later stage.
Methanol may dissolve the marker ink.
Methanol will turn the marker ink sticky and it may get transferred to the wall wash
funnel.
Under the regulations, coloured marker pens are prohibited.
The following important information should be prominently posted in the ships
laboratory:
The Deck Watchkeeping Schedule.
A calendar.
Material Safety Data Sheets for any chemicals in use.
Cleaning Chemical Index.
(Select all applicable) Wall wash results should be recorded for the following
reasons:
It is in all Captains Standing Orders.
It often figures as an item in Vetting Inspections.
It enables progress to be tracked during tank cleaning.
It is an ASTM requirement.
The sealed reference standard used in a Permanganate Fade Time test is:
A Potassium Chloride 600 colour standard.
A Potassium Cobalt 530 colour standard.
An API 500 Colour standard.
A Platinum Cobalt 500 colour standard.
How many drops of Silver Nitrate solution are added to the sample in a Chloride
test?
5.
10.
2.
1.
4

Wall wash samples will not really be affected by an occasional drop of sweat
(True or False):
True.
False.
Permanganate Fade Time test samples should start off with the following colour:
A bluish tint.
A rich, deep purple.
Completely clear.
A pale, watery yellow.
(Select as applicable) The two kinds of detectable odour in a wall wash sample
are:
Residual.
Nominal.
Distinctive.
Characteristic.
The letters G.C. in the shore laboratory test stand for:
General Condition.
General Chromatography.
Gas Condition.
Gas Chromatography.
If you encounter a new wall wash or analysis procedure, you should:
Forward full details to Company Operations Department.
Advise the Ships Superintendent.
Ignore it.
Inform the Purchasing Department.
Soapy bubbles noted on the top of a wall wash sample in a test tube are a likely
indication of:
Residues from an oil based cleaning agent.
Residues of a water based cargo.
Residues from a detergent based cleaning chemical.
Acetone.
The significant difference with a Whatman Filter Paper test is that it:
Commonly includes a sample taken from the tank bottom.
Involves more samples per tank.
It is more difficult to pass.
It is only performed in Japan.
Heavy smokers may, in particular, have a problem accurately conducting this
routine laboratory test:
Chlorides.
Colour.
Odour.
Appearance.

An Inhibitor in a last cargo will almost certainly influence the result in this
routine shipboard laboratory test:
Appearance.
Odour.
Hydrocarbons.
Permanganate Fade Time.
The following amount of Potassium Permanganate Solution is added to the
sample in the Permanganate Fade Time test:
5 ml.
1 ml.
10 ml.
2 ml.
When performing a Hydrocarbons test, the sample should be viewed:
Looking down through the tube against a black background.
Looking sideways through the tube against a good light.
Looking sideways through the tube against a black background.
Looking down through the tube against a white background.
Blue graduation marks on the side of a test tube may lead to:
Misinterpretation of low levels of Hydrocarbons.
Increased levels of Hydrocarbons.
Poor analysis of Permanganate Fade Time.
Misinterpretation of high levels of Chlorides.
The most apparent effect of samples left standing in test tubes is:
Permanent etching of the glass.
Accelerated discoloration of the glass.
Chemical reaction with any Hydrocarbons present.
Very slight inaccuracies in certain laboratory tests.
All cargoes loaded into Stainless Steel tanks require a wall wash standard of tank
cleanliness (True or False):
True.
False.
Another name for the Hydrocarbon test is Water Misidentification (true or
False):
True.
False.