Back to News Section Home

Vincotte’s OK Biobased Program Awards First Four-Star Rating

Vincotte has awarded its first OK Biobased four-star rating to a product with 99% biobased content. NatureWorks received the rating for all 40 grades of its Ingeo biopolymer resins, which are used in the plastics and fiber industries. According to Vincotte, the four-star rating is in recognition of Ingeo’s renewable carbon content.

Measuring the Renewable Carbon Content

The quantity of renewable carbon present in any given product is measured via a standard analytical method called ASTM D6866, which measures the biobased content versus the fossil content of a material by carbon-14 analysis. ASTM D6866 is an application of radiocarbon dating without the use age equations.

Products that are from renewable sources have a well-characterized amount of carbon 14 in them and are 100% biobased. Those products that are purely fossil have no carbon 14 and therefore 0% biobased. Materials with both fossil and renewable inputs have a biobased content greater than 0% but lesser than 100%.

OK Biobased Rating System

The OK Biobased rating system uses stars to indicate the biobased content or amount of renewable carbon in a product. A product with a one-star rating has a biobased content between 20%-40% while those with two stars have biobased content between 40%-60%. Three stars are given to products with 60%–80% renewable carbon, and those with more than 80% biobased content will receive a four-star rating.

Related posts:

1. OK Biobased Program: Four Stars for Telles, Wuhan Huali, Arjowiggins
2. Vincotte Names ASTM D6866 as Method, Announces 3 OK Biobased Licensees
3. Vinçotte Requires Carbon 14 Analysis for OK Biobased Certification
4. Beta Analytic Talks About Biobased Content Measurement at 4th Biowerkstoff Kongress