ISO 16620-2:2019
(Main)Plastics — Biobased content — Part 2: Determination of biobased carbon content
Plastics — Biobased content — Part 2: Determination of biobased carbon content
This document specifies a calculation method for the determination of the biobased carbon content in monomers, polymers, and plastic materials and products, based on the 14C content measurement. This document is applicable to plastic products and plastic materials (e.g. plasticisers or modifiers), polymer resins, monomers, or additives, which are made from biobased or fossil-based constituents. Knowing the biobased content of plastic products is useful when evaluating their environmental impact.
Plastiques — Teneur biosourcée — Partie 2: Détermination de la teneur en carbone biosourcé
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INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16620-2
Second edition
2019-10
Plastics — Biobased content —
Part 2:
Determination of biobased carbon
content
Plastiques — Teneur biosourcée —
Partie 2: Détermination de la teneur en carbone biosourcé
Reference number
©
ISO 2019
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Symbols . 2
3.3 Abbreviated terms . 2
4 Principle . 3
5 Sampling . 3
6 Determination of the C content . 4
6.1 General . 4
6.2 Principle . 4
6.3 Procedure for the conversion of the carbon present in the sample to a suitable
sample for C determination . 4
6.4 Measurement techniques . 4
7 Determination of the total carbon content and total organic carbon content .5
8 Calculation of the biobased carbon content. 5
8.1 General . 5
8.2 Correction factors . 5
8.3 Calculation method . 6
8.3.1 Calculation of the biobased carbon content by mass, x . 6
B
TC
8.3.2 Calculation of the biobased carbon content, x , as a fraction of TC . 7
B
TOC
8.3.3 Calculation of the biobased carbon content, x , as a fraction of TOC . 7
B
8.3.4 Examples . 7
9 Test report . 8
Annex A (normative) Procedure for the conversion of the carbon present in the sample to a
suitable sample for C determination . 9
Annex B (normative) Method A — Determination by liquid scintillation-counter method (LSC) .14
Annex C (informative) Method B — C determination by beta-ionization .17
Annex D (normative) Method C — C determination by accelerator mass spectrometry .20
Bibliography .23
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see: www .iso
.org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 14,
Environmental aspects.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 16620-2:2015), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— REF values for calculation of biobased carbon content from percent modern carbon vs. years are
listed in Table 2.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16620 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved
Introduction
Increased use of biomass resources for manufacturing plastic products is effective in reducing global
warming and the depletion of fossil resources.
Current plastic products are composed of biobased synthetic polymers, fossil-based synthetic polymers,
natural polymers, and additives that can include biobased materials.
“Biobased plastics” refer to plastics that contain materials, wholly or partly of biogenic origin.
In the ISO 16620 series, the “biobased content” of biobased plastics refers to the amount of the biobased
carbon content, the amount of the biobased synthetic polymer content, or the amount of the biobased
mass content only.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16620-2:2019(E)
Plastics — Biobased content —
Part 2:
Determination of biobased carbon content
WARNING — The use of this document might involve hazardous materials, operations, and
equipment. This document does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any,
associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to establish
appropriate safety and health practices and determine any restrictions prior to use.
1 Scope
This document specifies a calculation method for the determination of the biobased carbon content in
monomers, polymers, and plastic materials and products, based on the C content measurement.
This document is applicable to plastic products and plastic materials (e.g. plasticisers or modifiers),
polymer resins, monomers, or additives, which are made from biobased or fossil-based constituents.
Knowing the biobased content of plastic products is useful when evaluating their environmental impact.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 16620-1, Plastics — Biobased content — Part 1: General principles
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 16620-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1.1
percent modern carbon
pMC
normalized and standardized value for the amount of the C isotope in a sample, calculated relative to
the standardized and normalized C isotope amount of oxalic acid standard reference material, NIST
1)
SRM 4990b or NIST SRM 4990c or Sucrose (NIST SRM 8542)
Note 1 to entry: The reference value of 100 % biobased carbon is given in Table 2.
1) NIST SRM 4990b or NIST SRM 4990c or Sucrose (NIST SRM 8542) is the trade name of a product supplied by
the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. This information is given for the convenience of users of this
document and does not constitute an endorsement by ISO of the product named. Equivalent products can be used if
they can be shown to lead to the same results.
3.1.2
radiocarbon
radioactive isotope of the element carbon, C, having 8 neutrons, 6 protons, and 6 electrons
−10 14
Note 1 to entry: Of the total carbon on Earth, 1 × 10 % is C. It decays exponentially with a half-life of
5 730 years and, as such, it is not measurable in fossil materials derived from petroleum, coal, natural gas, or any
other source older than about 50 000 years.
[SOURCE: ISO 13833:2013, 3.7]
3.2 Symbols
C carbon isotope with an atomic mass of 14
m mass of a sample expressed in grams
pMC(s) measured value, expressed in pMC, according to AMS method, of the sample
REF reference value, expressed in pMC, of 100 % biobased carbon depending on the origin of
organic carbon
TC
x total carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the sample
TOC
x total organic carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the sample
x biobased carbon content by mass, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the sample
B
TC
biobased carbon content by total carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the total
x
B
carbon content
TOC
biobased carbon content by total organic carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the
x
B
total organic carbon content
NOTE 1 “Biobased carbon content by mass, x ” used in this document corresponds to “biobased carbon
B
content on mass” defined in 3.3.9 of ASTM D6866-18.
TC
NOTE 2 “Biobased carbon content by total carbon content, x ” corresponds to “biogenic carbon content”
B
defined in 3.3.8 of ASTM D6866-18.
TOC
NOTE 3 “Biobased carbon content by total organic carbon content, x ” corresponds to “biobased carbon
B
content” defined in 3.3.7 of ASTM D6866-18.
3.3 Abbreviated terms
AMS accelerator mass spectroscopy
BI beta-ionization
Bq Bequerel (disintegrations per second)
cpm counts per minute
dpm disintegrations per minute
GM
...
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16620-2
Second edition
2019-10
Plastics — Biobased content —
Part 2:
Determination of biobased carbon
content
Plastiques — Teneur biosourcée —
Partie 2: Détermination de la teneur en carbone biosourcé
Reference number
©
ISO 2019
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Symbols . 2
3.3 Abbreviated terms . 2
4 Principle . 3
5 Sampling . 3
6 Determination of the C content . 4
6.1 General . 4
6.2 Principle . 4
6.3 Procedure for the conversion of the carbon present in the sample to a suitable
sample for C determination . 4
6.4 Measurement techniques . 4
7 Determination of the total carbon content and total organic carbon content .5
8 Calculation of the biobased carbon content. 5
8.1 General . 5
8.2 Correction factors . 5
8.3 Calculation method . 6
8.3.1 Calculation of the biobased carbon content by mass, x . 6
B
TC
8.3.2 Calculation of the biobased carbon content, x , as a fraction of TC . 7
B
TOC
8.3.3 Calculation of the biobased carbon content, x , as a fraction of TOC . 7
B
8.3.4 Examples . 7
9 Test report . 8
Annex A (normative) Procedure for the conversion of the carbon present in the sample to a
suitable sample for C determination . 9
Annex B (normative) Method A — Determination by liquid scintillation-counter method (LSC) .14
Annex C (informative) Method B — C determination by beta-ionization .17
Annex D (normative) Method C — C determination by accelerator mass spectrometry .20
Bibliography .23
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see: www .iso
.org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 14,
Environmental aspects.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 16620-2:2015), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— REF values for calculation of biobased carbon content from percent modern carbon vs. years are
listed in Table 2.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16620 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved
Introduction
Increased use of biomass resources for manufacturing plastic products is effective in reducing global
warming and the depletion of fossil resources.
Current plastic products are composed of biobased synthetic polymers, fossil-based synthetic polymers,
natural polymers, and additives that can include biobased materials.
“Biobased plastics” refer to plastics that contain materials, wholly or partly of biogenic origin.
In the ISO 16620 series, the “biobased content” of biobased plastics refers to the amount of the biobased
carbon content, the amount of the biobased synthetic polymer content, or the amount of the biobased
mass content only.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16620-2:2019(E)
Plastics — Biobased content —
Part 2:
Determination of biobased carbon content
WARNING — The use of this document might involve hazardous materials, operations, and
equipment. This document does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any,
associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to establish
appropriate safety and health practices and determine any restrictions prior to use.
1 Scope
This document specifies a calculation method for the determination of the biobased carbon content in
monomers, polymers, and plastic materials and products, based on the C content measurement.
This document is applicable to plastic products and plastic materials (e.g. plasticisers or modifiers),
polymer resins, monomers, or additives, which are made from biobased or fossil-based constituents.
Knowing the biobased content of plastic products is useful when evaluating their environmental impact.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 16620-1, Plastics — Biobased content — Part 1: General principles
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 16620-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1.1
percent modern carbon
pMC
normalized and standardized value for the amount of the C isotope in a sample, calculated relative to
the standardized and normalized C isotope amount of oxalic acid standard reference material, NIST
1)
SRM 4990b or NIST SRM 4990c or Sucrose (NIST SRM 8542)
Note 1 to entry: The reference value of 100 % biobased carbon is given in Table 2.
1) NIST SRM 4990b or NIST SRM 4990c or Sucrose (NIST SRM 8542) is the trade name of a product supplied by
the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. This information is given for the convenience of users of this
document and does not constitute an endorsement by ISO of the product named. Equivalent products can be used if
they can be shown to lead to the same results.
3.1.2
radiocarbon
radioactive isotope of the element carbon, C, having 8 neutrons, 6 protons, and 6 electrons
−10 14
Note 1 to entry: Of the total carbon on Earth, 1 × 10 % is C. It decays exponentially with a half-life of
5 730 years and, as such, it is not measurable in fossil materials derived from petroleum, coal, natural gas, or any
other source older than about 50 000 years.
[SOURCE: ISO 13833:2013, 3.7]
3.2 Symbols
C carbon isotope with an atomic mass of 14
m mass of a sample expressed in grams
pMC(s) measured value, expressed in pMC, according to AMS method, of the sample
REF reference value, expressed in pMC, of 100 % biobased carbon depending on the origin of
organic carbon
TC
x total carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the sample
TOC
x total organic carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the sample
x biobased carbon content by mass, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the sample
B
TC
biobased carbon content by total carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the total
x
B
carbon content
TOC
biobased carbon content by total organic carbon content, expressed as a percentage of the
x
B
total organic carbon content
NOTE 1 “Biobased carbon content by mass, x ” used in this document corresponds to “biobased carbon
B
content on mass” defined in 3.3.9 of ASTM D6866-18.
TC
NOTE 2 “Biobased carbon content by total carbon content, x ” corresponds to “biogenic carbon content”
B
defined in 3.3.8 of ASTM D6866-18.
TOC
NOTE 3 “Biobased carbon content by total organic carbon content, x ” corresponds to “biobased carbon
B
content” defined in 3.3.7 of ASTM D6866-18.
3.3 Abbreviated terms
AMS accelerator mass spectroscopy
BI beta-ionization
Bq Bequerel (disintegrations per second)
cpm counts per minute
dpm disintegrations per minute
GM
...
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