CEN/TC 411/WG 3 - Bio-based content

This document specifies a direct method for the determination of the total oxygen content in bio-based products using an elemental analyser. The scope is limited to products containing elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chloride, bromide and iodide without fluoride, representing at least 95 % of the composition of the product to be analysed.
NOTE 1   Bio-based materials can contain both organic and inorganic components. The oxygen content might originate both from the organic and/or the inorganic components. The inorganic components are not bio-based but will nevertheless contribute to the amount of oxygen determined by the following prescribed methods and therefore influence the results in terms of oxygen content. According to the current state of the art, it is not possible by isotopic measurements to establish a distinction between oxygen originating from biomass and oxygen originating from non-biomass.
NOTE 2   Although this document has been drafted for the purpose of the determinations dealing with bio-based content, it can be also used as a standalone standard for determination of oxygen in organic compounds.
NOTE 3   For the purposes of this document, the unit "% (m/m)" is used to represent the oxygen content of a material.
NOTE 4   The method specified in this document involves a direct measurement method for the determination of oxygen content. This method contains many similarities with the ASTM D5622 [1] standard for gasoline and methanol fuels. The method specified in this document is specifically developed and validated for bio-based products. In addition, this method provides more accurate and unadulterated measured values for oxygen in contrast to indirect measurement methods for the determination of oxygen (e.g. ASTM D 3176 [2]).

This part of EN 16785 specifies a method of determining the bio-based content in products using the material balance applied to a representative product batch in a production unit.
This European Standard is applicable to any solid, liquid and gaseous bio-based product containing carbon, obtained by chemical synthesis, mixing or assembling, provided that:
-   for a product batch, the composition of the product and the bio-based content of each input, output and loss  in the production unit are known; and
-   the bio-based content of the product is verifiable by analysis.
This method incorporates only the physical parts of the input and output stream as present in the final product, and does not incorporate material inputs for the energy to be used during the production process.
This method is not needed for the determination of the bio-based content in natural products wholly derived from biomass.

This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of the bio-based carbon content in products, based on the 14C content measurement.
This European Standard also specifies three test methods to be used for the determination of the 14C content from which the bio-based carbon content is calculated:
-   Method A: Liquid scintillation-counter method (LSC) (normative);
-   Method B: Beta-ionization (BI) (informative);
-   Method C: Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) (normative).
The bio-based carbon content is expressed by a fraction of sample mass or as a fraction of the total carbon content. This calculation method is applicable to any product containing carbon, including bio composites.
NOTE   This European standard does not provide the methodology for the calculation of the biomass content of a sample see prEN 16785-1 [5] and prEN 16785-2 [6].

CCMC - Mix up in clause numbering & related paragraphs

This European Standard specifies a method of determining the bio-based content in products, based on the radiocarbon analysis and elemental analysis.
This European Standard is applicable to any solid, liquid and gaseous product containing carbon element, provided that a statement giving the composition and the origin of the product is available.
This method is not needed for the determination of the bio based content in natural products wholly derived from biomass.

This Technical Report gives an overview of methods which can be used for the determination of the bio-based content of solid, liquid and gaseous products. It describes more specifically:
a)   a method using the radiocarbon analysis and elemental analysis: this method is based on a statement and a verification of the composition of the products;
b)   methods based on measurement of stable isotopic ratio; and
c)   a method based on the material balance.
This Technical Report gives guidance on the applicability of the different methods.
This Technical Report also gives recommendations for the further development of European Standards for the determination of the bio-based content.

This Technical Specification specifies a method for the determination of the bio-based carbon content in products, based on the 14C content measurement.
It also specifies three test methods to be used for the determination of the 14C content from which the bio-based carbon content is calculated:
-   Method A: Liquid scintillation-counter method (LSC);
-   Method B: Beta-ionization (BI);
-   Method C: Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).
The bio-based carbon content is expressed by a fraction of sample mass, as a fraction of the total carbon content or as a fraction of the total organic carbon content.
This calculation method is applicable to any product containing organic carbon, including biocomposites.
NOTE   This Technical Specification does not provide the methodology for the calculation of the biomass content of a sample.