# Chemical tanker

> A tanker built or adapted to carry liquid chemicals and other noxious liquid substances in bulk.

## Record

- Record type: Encyclopedia entry
- Canonical page: https://admiralsatlas.com/en/ship-types/chemical-tanker/
- Last updated: 2026-09-22

## Article

A **chemical tanker** carries liquid chemicals or other noxious liquid substances in bulk. Its cargo spaces and associated systems must suit the products carried; different products can require different containment, segregation, and cleaning arrangements.

It differs from an [oil tanker](/en/ship-types/oil-tanker/) in the products it is designed and certified to carry. Both use cargo tanks, but the liquid cargo alone does not establish the ship type.

[Further reading: IMO International Bulk Chemical Code](https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/safety/pages/ibc-code.aspx).