Spin up and down of vortices

How many tons do you need?

Styrene beads are the raw material used for making Styrofoam, and are used in huge volumes, but they can't be obtained through normal distribution routes. I phoned a chemicals manufacturer directly and negotiated to get a sample for the experiments. I managed to get a positive answer to my request, but was asked "how many tons would you like?" at the end of the conversation, and was left lost for words.