UBC Moisture Sampling & Testing Procedures

1.0    BALE / BISCUIT / LOOSE CAN COLLECTION

1.1   Truck Load

Take four bales or four biscuits or four samples of loose cans at random from four different sections of the trailer (see below).

1.2    Railcar

Take five bales or five biscuits at random from five different sections of the load (see below).

2.0    SAMPLE COLLECTION

2.1    Bale Sample

Five cans will be collected by hand from each of three different sections of each bale (thus equaling a total of fifteen cans per bale). The first section chosen is the outside of the bale. The second section chosen will be approximately 1/4 of the length of the bale in from the first section. The third section chosen will be approximately the center of the bale.

The five cans are taken from approximately the same location on each section. All five cans are taken from the outside surface area of each section. The approximate positioning of the five cans in each section are as follows:

The four cans taken on the outside of each section are located approximately 2/3 of the distance from the center can to the corner of the section.

The fifteen cans from each bale are combined and placed into a pre-weighed aluminum drying pan.

2.2    Biscuit Samples

One biscuit will be taken at random from each selected "Bundle".

2.3    Loose Can Samples

Four 300 gram (minimum) samples will be collected at random utilizing a plastic scoop (thus equaling a minimum sample of 1200 grams).

The sampled cans are combined and placed into a pre-weighed aluminum drying pan.

NOTE: All sampling will be done under cover.

3.0    MOISTURE ANALYSIS

3.1    Bale Sample

See test procedure below.

  • Obtain the weight of the aluminum drying pan (tare weight). Record weight. Weigh the UBC sample with the aluminum drying pan and subtract the tare weight of the aluminum drying pan. Record wet weight.
  • Place the sample in the "Blue M" drying oven (Model ft DC-1506G) at 300 degrees F for 40 minutes.
  • After removal from the oven, allow the temperature of the sample to drop to room temperature.
  • Reweigh the sample and again subtract the tare weight of the aluminum drying pan. Record dry weight.
  • Subtract the dry UBC sample weight from the wet UBC sample weight to determine the weight of moisture. Record moisture weight.
  • Divide the moisture weight by the wet UBC sample weight then multiply by 100 to determine the percent of moisture.

Note: The moisture percentage is reported to a tenth of a percent with further decimal places truncated.

3.2    Biscuit Samples

See test procedure below.

  • Obtain the weight of the aluminum drying pan (tare weight). Record weight. Weigh the UBC biscuit with the aluminum drying pan and subtract the tare weight of the aluminum drying pan. Record wet weight.
  • Place each biscuit and aluminum drying pan in the "Blue M" drying oven (Model DC-1506G) at 300 degrees F for 7 hours.
  • After removal from the oven, allow the temperature of each biscuit to drop to room temperature.
  • Reweigh each biscuit with its aluminum drying pan and again subtract the tare weight of the aluminum drying pan. Record dry weights.
  • Subtract each dry biscuit weight from the associated wet biscuit weight to determine the weight of moisture for each biscuit. Record moisture weights.
  • Divide the moisture weight for each biscuit by the associated wet weight then multiply by 100 to determine the percent of moisture for each biscuit. Record moisture percentages.
  • Perform a simple average of all moisture percentages to determine the estimated moisture percentage of the load. Record average moisture percentage.

NOTE: All calculated moisture percentages are reported to a tenth of a percent with further decimal places truncated. The simple average of those percentages is also reported to a tenth of a percent with further decimal places truncated.

3.3    Loose Can Sample

See test procedure below.

  • Obtain the weight of the aluminum drying pan (tare weight). Record weight. Weigh the UBC sample with the aluminum drying pan and subtract the tare weight of the aluminum drying pan. Record wet weight.
  • Place the sample in the "Blue M" drying oven (Model # DC-1506G) at 300 degrees F for 40 minutes.
  • After removal from the oven, allow the temperature of the sample to drop to room temperature.
  • Reweigh the sample and again subtract the tare weight of the aluminum drying pan. Record dry weight.
  • Subtract the dry UBC sample weight from the wet UBC sample weight to determine the weight of moisture. Record moisture weight.
  • Divide the moisture weight by the wet UBC sample weight then multiply by 100 to determine the percent of moisture.

Note: The moisture percentage is reported to a tenth of a percent with further decimal places truncated.