Beilstein Testing is important if an accurate determination of rubber hydrocarbon content is to be made. The test involves heating up a copper wire until it is red hot using a Bunsen burner, placing it on to the unknown material until smoke is emitted and placing it back in to the flame of a Bunsen burner. A green or blue/green flame indicates the presence of a halogen. If a halogen is present, the sample is extracted in diethylether instead of acetone, since halogenated polymers are partially extracted with acetone.
