Submitting Samples / Quantities Needed

General guidelines for submitting Samples.

IMPORTANT: BETA does not need information which you feel may breach the confidentiality of your product. You are welcome to submit the materials simply labeled A,B,C or 1, 2, 3.

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 or plastic bag
  (eg SKC plastic bag with valve - 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)
• Approximate water content
• Flammability
• Presence or absence of volatile compounds (e.g. alcohol)
• Presence or absence of non-combustible organic compounds (e.g. graphite)

An MSDS is not required but is greatly appreciated when 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 batches 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).

IMPORTANT: Beta does not have the facilities for handling or disposing of certain hazardous materials, and as such cannot accept carcenogenic materials or materials requiring special disposal procedures. In the case of highly flammable or certain toxic materials (eg phenols), we can only accept very small quantities such that disposal is not an issue.

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.