ASTM D6596 Ampulization and Storage of Gasoline and Related Hydrocarbon Materials
1. Scope
1.1 This practice covers a general guide for the ampulization and storage of gasoline and related hydrocarbon mixtures that are to be used as calibration standards or reference materials. This practice addresses materials, solutions, or mixtures, which may contain volatile components. This practice is not intended to address the ampulization of highly viscous liquids, materials that are solid at room temperature, or materials that have high percentages of dissolved gases that cannot be handled under reasonable cooling temperatures and at normal atmospheric pressure without losses of these volatile components.
1.2 This practice is applicable to automated ampule filling and sealing machines as well as to manual ampule filling devices, such as pipettes and hand-operated liquid dispensers.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard 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 standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D6362 Practice for Certificates of Reference Materials for Water Analysis
E826 Practice for Testing Homogeneity of a Metal Lot or Batch in Solid Form by Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry
2.2 ISO Standards:
ISO Guide 30 Terms and Definitions Used in Connection with Reference Materials
ISO Guide 31 Contents of Certificates of Reference Materials
ISO Guide 35 Certification of Reference Materials - General and Statistical Principles
ISO/REMCO N280 Homogeneity Testing Procedure for the Evaluation of Interlaboratory Test Samples
2.3 Government Standard:
29 CFR 1910.1200 Hazard Communication
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 accepted reference value (ARV) - a value that serves as an agreed-upon reference for comparison and that is derived as: (1) a theoretical or established value, based on scientific principles; (2) an assigned value, based on experimental work of some national or international organization, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); or (3) a consensus value, based on collaborative experimental work under the auspices of a scientific or engineering group.
3.1.2 ampule - a glass vessel for the storage of liquid materials, possessing a long narrow neck for the purpose of providing a flame-sealed closure.
3.1.3 headspace - the unfilled capacity of an ampule that allows for physical expansion due to temperature and pressure changes of the filled material while maintaining the integrity of the package.
3.1.4 homogeneity - the uniformity of the characteristics of the packaged material across the entire packaging run determined for the purpose of demonstrating the suitability of the batch for its intended purpose.
3.1.4.1 Discussion - There are two homogeneity testing cases; one in which the material is ampulized as a reference material at the time of ampulization, and one in which the material is not.
(1) reference material at time of ampulization - The material to be ampulized is a reference material that has accepted true or consensus values. Ampulization of a reference material would require homogeneity testing in order to assess the variability caused by the ampulization process on the true or consensus values for the reference material.
(2) not a reference material at time of ampulization - The material to be ampulized is not a reference material at the time of ampulization but is intended to have characterization and assignment of true or consensus values at some future date. Rigid homogeneity testing is not required on such a material at the time of ampulization since the true or consensus values have not yet been determined. However, ampules must be retained at the beginning, middle, and end of the ampulization process. It is recommended that qualitative testing be done on at least one sample from each of the beginning, middle, and end of the ampulization process. The remaining ampules should then be retained for future homogeneity testing to determine quantitative or consensus val ues.
3.1.5 reference material (RM) - a material or substance of which one or more properties are sufficiently well established to enable the material to be used for the calibration of an apparatus, the assessment of a method, or the assignment of values to similar materials.
3.1.6 shelf life - the period of time, under specified storage conditions, for which the RM will possess the same properties or true values, within established acceptance limits.
3.1.7 stability testing - tests required to demonstrate the chemical stability of the ampulized RM for the purpose of determining the shelf life of the RM.
