Beta Analytic - Biobased Testing

Understanding BioBased Content

(We recommend reading the page on UNDERSTANDING RADIOCARBON DATING prior to reading this page.)

(We also recommend reading the page on ORGANIC CARBON VS TOTAL CARBON prior to reading this page.)

Definitions

BIOBASED - materials that are derived in whole or part from biomass resources. Biomass resources are organic materials that are available on a renewable or recurring basis such as crop residues, wood residues, grasses, and aquatic plants. Corn ethanol is a well known example of a biobased material derived from biomass resources.

BIOBASED PRODUCT - a product that contains some amount of biobased material within it. The term is typically applied only to materials containing carbon.

NON-BIOBASED PRODUCT - a product that does not contain any biobased materials in it. Products made entirely from petrochemical resources are referred to as non-biobased products. The term is typically applied only to materials containing carbon. Glass, for example, is not generally referred to as non-biobased material since it doesn't contain any carbon.

PERCENT BIOBASED CONTENT ("percent biobased", "biobased content") - the amount of carbon in a product that is derived from biobased materials, relative to the total amount of carbon in the product. The emerging biobased manufacturing industry is producing large numbers of products that contain mixtures of both biobased materials and petroleum derived materials. "Percent biobased" is a measure of the amount of the biobased carbon in the product as compared to the sum of biobased plus petroleum based carbon in the product. A Percent Biobased value of 75% would mean that of all the carbon in the product, 75% of it is biobased and 25% is petroleum based.¹

The purpose of a biobased content measurement is to determine how much of the carbon within a biobased product is derived from biobased materials. The value represents a measure of how much biobased material a company is using to manufacturer its products relative to the more readily available, less expensive petroleum based alternatives.

1. Schonhofer, Franze. 14C in Austrian Wine and Vinegar. RADIOCARBON, VOL. 34, No. 3, 1992, P. 768-7711.