Submitting Samples / Quantities Needed

General guidelines for submitting Samples.

BETA does not need information which you feel may breach the confidentiality of your product.

Analysis can be done on almost any solid, liquid, or gas containing carbon

Products may be submitted in their retail containers, or in sub-sample containers.

• Solid materials may be placed in zip-lock bags.
• Liquids may be placed in plastic or glass vials
• Gases may be sealed in Pyrex or quartz 9.5 mm diameter tubes.
  (contact the lab prior to submitting gases)

Useful information you can provide for each sample (but not required) is as follows.

• Approximate carbon content (weight of carbon to total weight of the sample),
  Water content
• Flammability
• Presence or absence of volatile compounds (e.g. alcohol)
• Presence or absence of non-combustible organic compounds (e.g. graphite)

CATEGORY 1 vs. CATEGORY 2 material status

• CATEGORY 1 materials consist of relatively high carbon contents, low flammability, and low volume. They are generally everything but highly flammable materials, explosive materials and materials with more than 15% carbon. They are charged at a lower rate.
• CATEGORY 2 samples are generally flammables such as gasoline and fuel additives, and products with less than 15% carbon contents such as detergents, shampoos, and body washes. Highly acidic or highly alkaline products and highly heterogenous products would also be CATEGORY 2 materials. These are charged at a higher rate.

One sample-datasheet needs to be submitted with each sample.

• These are available to fill out either on-line, or to download as a PDF.

An MSDS must be sent when available.

• If an MSDS is not available, it is the manufacturers responsibility to inform BETA of any health or environmental concerns which BETA staff may be exposed to in handling of the product.

The carbon content of the product must be high enough to be able to extract and measure.

• BETA has analyzed detergents with carbon contents as low as 0.07 %, so this can be very low.

Contact BETA for discussion prior to submitting materials which may require special facilities for the handling of toxic or hazardous substances.

Submitting a sample that is truly representative of the manufactured product is essential for an accurate result.

• It is important to mix well prior to sub-sampling for carbon-14 analysis. ASTM method D7026-04 discusses sampling requirements associated with submitting samples for biobased content analysis. The Standard Guide can be downloaded from the ASTM website (www.astm.org).

Recommended Quantities

The quantity of product required depends upon the carbon content and flammability of the product. The quantities listed in the table below are general recommendations.