Biobased content

Narayan R, ASTM International Subcommittee D20.96 (2008) Biobased content briefing paper ASTM subcommittee D20.96 on environmentally degradable plastics and biobased... 

ASTM International (2007) ASTM D6866-08 Standard test methods for determining the biobased content of solid, liquid, and gaseous samples using radiocarbon analysis. ASTM International, West Conshohocken... 

In 2009, Coca Cola introduced the PlantBottle , which is made from partially biobased PET. The same material is now being used by Heinz. PET, as has been explained, is most often made by polymerizing ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Biobased ethylene glycol is now available. When it is used to make PET, the resulting polymer has about 30% biobased content. Coca Cola and others are working on economically viable routes to produce terephthalic acid from biobased sources, which would permit 100% biobased PET [8,9]. 

Much research is being performed in the field of drop-in biopolymers toward biobased PU, based on renewable polyester polyols. Merquinsa markets a biobased thermoplastic PU under the brand names Pearlthane and Pearlbond ECO these have a biobased content ranging from 20 to 90%. Arkana produces biobased thermoplastic copolyamide hotmelt Platamid (based on castor oil) having a biobased content up to 100%. UNl-REZ are thermoplastic polyamide, pine-based, adhesive resins from Arizona Chemicals. The previously desalbed biobased thermoplastics can be applied to textile coating and lamination. 

American Standard Test Method (ASTM) D6866 - 11 Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Sohd, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis, http //www.astm. org/DATABASE.CART/HISTORICAL/D6866-l l.htm (accessed 22 August 2013). 

Low biobased content product (20% or less biobased content) ... 

ASTM D6866-06, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Natural Range Materials Using Radiocarbon and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Analysis, American Society for Testing and Materials, 2006, p. 14. 

The USDA established minimum biobased content standards for many product categories. Products must meet or exceed the minimum biobased content in its category to be certified as biobased products. ASTM D6866 provides a test method to measure the biobased content of products. This will be explained more in Chapter 8 (ASTM D6866 2013). 

The biobased content of the plastic material can be established by tests that measure carbon isotopes of the polymer material. In the United States, the ASTM D6866 standard estabUshes the procedures, equipment, materials, and conditions to measure the 14C content of the plastic sample through radiocarbon analysis. ASTM D6866 biobased standard establishes that a material can be certified as biobased if greater than 99% of the carbon in the plastic sample is made from organic sources and is characterized by a 14C isotope. This will be further explained in Chapter 8. 

Method B Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) techniques to quantify the biobased content of a given product. Sample preparation methods are identical to Method A. Stored CO2 is sent to an AMS facility for final processing and analysis. The maximum error is 1-2% for AMS and 0.1-0.5% for IRMS. 

Method C Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) radiocarbon techniques to quantify the biobased content of a product. Method C uses LSC analysis of sample carbon that has been converted to benzene rather than CO2 solutions of Method A. The maximum error is 3%. 

P.8.2 Which of the following ASTM standards establishes biobased content in materials a. ASTMD5338... 

Renewable Materials, Biobased Materials and Biobased Content... 

The FTC did not issue any guidance on biobased claims and deferred to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure accurate communication of information to consumers on products USDA certifies as biobased ASTM D6866 forms the basis for measuring and reporting biobased content. 

C-14 signature forms the basis of Standard test method to quantify biobased content (ASTM D6866)... 

Biobased plastics, in which the fossil carbon is replaced by biobased carbon from plant-biomass resonrces, offer the intrinsic value proposition of a sustainable, zero material carbon footprint which is in balance with the rates and timescale of the biological carbon cycle. The process carbon and environmental footprint using LCA methodology is important and needs to be conducted as well. However, it does not capture nor convey the true, intrinsic value proposition of the zero material carbon footprint arising from the selection of the plant-biomass carbon resources. Identification and quantification of biobased content is based on the radioactive C-14 signature associated with (new) biobased carbon. Not all biobased plastics are biodegradable and not all biodegradable polymers are biobased. 

C signature forms the basis to identify and quantify biobased content - ASTM D6366... 

Test Method A utilizes Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) radiocarbon ( C) techniques by collecting the CO2 in a suitable absorbing solution to quantify the biobased content. The method has an error from 5-10% depending on the LSC equipment used. 

The 1950 s nuclear testing programs resulted in a considerable enrichment of C in the atmosphere. Although it continues to decrease by a small amount each year, the current C activity in the atmosphere has not reached the pre 1950 level. Because all C sample activities are referenced to a pre-bomb standard, and because nearly all new biobased products are produced in a post-bomb environment, all values (after correction for isotopic fractionation) must be multiplied by 0.93 (as of the writing of this standard) to better reflect the true biobased content of the sample. 

It, therefore, follows that the biobased content of a material is based on the amount of biobased carbon present, and defined as follows ... 

Biobased content or gross biobased content Amount of biobased carbon in the material or product as fraction weight (mass) or percent weight (mass) of the total organic carbon in the material or product. (ASTM D6866)... 

The following examples illustrate biobased content determinations. 

Product O is a fiber reinforced composite with the composition 30% biofiber (cellulose fiber) + 70% PLA (biobased material). The biobased content of Product O is 100% — all the carbon in the product comes from bioresources. 

Product N is a fiber reinforced composite with the composition 30% biofiber (cellulose) + 70% polypropylene (petroleum based organic). Product N biobased content = 18.17% and not 30%. Again, biobased content is not based on weight (mass), but on a carbon basis i.e. amount of biobased carbon as fraction weight (mass) or percent weight (mass) of the total organic carbon. Therefore, biobased content = 0.3 44.4 (percent biocarbon cellulose)/0.7 85.7 (percent carbon in polypropylene)+ 0.3 44.4 (percent biocarbon) 100 which computes to 18.17%. 

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