Code of Federal Regulations Title 46. Shipping § 46.164.003–4 Inspections and tests

(a) Kapok fibers to be used in a finished product subject to inspection by the Coast Guard shall be subject to inspection and tests at the plant of the manufacturer of such product, who shall furnish the necessary testing tank, test cages, and scales.

(b) Acceptance of kapok prior to being incorporated into finished products, or during the course of manufacture, shall in no case be construed as a guarantee of the acceptance of the finished product.

(c) Not less than a one-pound sample from each 1,000 pounds of kapok shall be tested for buoyancy by the inspector. At his discretion, the inspector may select additional samples for tests if deemed advisable.

(d) The buoyancy test shall be made with 16 ounces of processed kapok uniformly packed in a rigid wire box or cage with metal reinforced edges, and submerged by weights in a tank of fresh water to a depth of 12 inches below the surface of the water, measurement made to the top of box, for 48 hours. The test box shall be cylindrical in shape, and as nearly as practicable 1/3 cubic foot in volume, 4 inches deep, 13.54 inches diameter, all inside measurements;  constructed of about 0.065 inch galvanized iron wire with about 1/4 inch mesh, and lined with about 0.007 inch copper wire screen about 18 meshes to the inch, to prevent the kapok from pushing out through the larger wire meshes. At the end of forty-eight hours submergence, the buoyancy shall be determined by subtracting the submerged weight of the box, accessory weights and kapok from the submerged weight of the box and weights without the kapok, and dividing the remainder by the volume of the kapok expressed in cubic feet.

(e) Kapok fiber shall, at the option of the inspector, be subjected to a microscopic examination to detect adulteration with other fiber.

(f) Processed kapok shall, at the option of the inspector, be subjected to separation of kapok fibers from foreign matter by hand, the portions of each weighed, and percentage of foreign matter computed for compliance with § 164.003–3(d).