ASTM D6866-04a

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Designation:D6866–04a
Standard Test Methods for
Determining the Biobased Content of Natural Range
Materials Using Radiocarbon and Isotope Ratio Mass
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Spectrometry Analysis
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6866; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope* 3.2 Terminology D883 should be referenced for terminol-
ogy relating to plastics. Although an attempt to list terms in a
1.1 These test methods do not address environmental im-
logical manner (alphabetically) will be made as some terms
pact, product performance and functionality, determination of
require definition of other terms to make sense.
geographical origin, or assignment of required amounts of
3.3 Definitions:
biobased carbon necessary for compliance with federal laws.
3.3.1 dpm—disintegrations per minute. This is the quantity
1.2 These test methods are applicable to any product con-
of radioactivity. The measure dpm is derived from cpm or
tainingcarbon-basedcomponentsthatcanbecombustedinthe
counts per minute (dpm = cpm − bkgd / counting efficiency).
presence of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO ) gas.
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There are 2.2 by 10 dpm / uCi (13,16).
1.3 These test methods make no attempt to teach the basic
3.3.2 dps—disintegrationspersecond(ratherthanminuteas
principles of the instrumentation used although minimum
above) (13,16).
requirements for instrument selection are referenced in the
3.3.3 scintillation—the sum of all photons produced by a
References section. However, the preparation of samples for
radioactive decay event. Counters used to measure this as
the above methods is described. No details of instrument
described in this method are Liquid Scintillation Counters
operation are included here. These are best obtained from the
(LSC) Bq (13,16).
manufacturer of the specific instrument in use.
3.3.4 specific activity (SA)—refers to the quantity of radio-
1.4 Currently, there are no ISO test methods that are
activity per mass unit of product, that is, dpmh% (13,16).
equivalent to the test methods outlined in this standard.
3.3.5 automated effıciency control (AEC)—a method used
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the
by scintillation counters to compensate for the effect of
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
quenching on the sample spectrum (13).
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
3.3.6 AMS facility—a facility performingAccelerator Mass
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
Spectrometry.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
3.3.7 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)—an ultra-
2. Referenced Documents
sensitive technique for measuring naturally occurring radio
2
nuclides, in which sample atoms are ionized, accelerated to
2.1 ASTM Standards:
high energies, separated on basis of momentum, charge, and
D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
mass,andindividuallycountedinFaradaycollectors.Thishigh
3. Terminology
energyseparationisextremelyeffectiveinfilteringoutisobaric
interferences, such that AMS may be used to measure accu-
3.1 The definitions of terms used in this test method are
14 15
ratelythe Cabundancetoalevelof1in10 .Attheselevels,
referenced in order that the practitioner may require further
uncertainties are based on counting statistics through the
informationregardingthepracticeoftheartofisotopeanalysis
Poisson distribution (7,8).
and to facilitate performance of the method.
3.3.8 background radiation—the radiation in the natural
environment; including cosmic radiation and radionuclides
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present in the local environment, for example, materials of
These test methods are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on
Plastics and are the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmen-
construction, metals, glass, concrete (1,3,6,7,13-18).
tally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products.
3.3.9 coincidence circuit—aportionoftheelectronicanaly-
CurrenteditionapprovedJuly1,2004.PublishedJuly2004.Originallyapproved
sissystemofaLiquidScintillationCounterwhichactstoreject
in 2004. Last previous edition approved in 2004 as D6866-04.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
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Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Theboldfacenumbersinparenthesesrefertothelistofreferencesattheendof
the ASTM website. this standard.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
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