1

Studies on Various Physico - Chemical Characteristics

of Some vegetable Oils

N. A. Fakhri1 and H. K. Qadir2

1. Department of Chemistry, College of Education / Scientific Departments, Salahaddin University, Erbil,00964 Iraq.
2. Department of Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Meical University, Erbil,00964 Iraq.

Abstract: The industrial chemistry of oils and fats is a mature technology, with decades of experience and refinement behind current
practices, therefore Some physico-chemical characteristics of eleven vegetable oils sunflower oil (four different manufacturing
companies), olive oil (three different manufacturing companies), corn oil, castor oil, coconut oil and canola oil) in Iraqi Kurdistan
region (Hawler city center) have been evaluated according to association of official analytical chemists (AOAC),(1995) official
methods. The refractive index, viscosity, acid value, peroxide value, pH values, and values of specific gravity of the vegetable oil
samples were measured at various different conditions. The results showed that some of the oil samples have unacceptable values in
comparison with the standards.

Key words: Physico-chemical, Vegetable oils, AOAC.

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1. Introduction There are many reasons for the current push for
Vegetable fats and vegetable oils are substances physico-chemical studies of some edible oils like
derived from plants that are composed of triglycerides. sunflower oils, olive oils, corn oil, coconut oil and canola
Nominally, oils are liquid at room temperature, and fats oil, because they are important in daily high uses as
are solid; a dense brittle fat is called a wax. Physically cooking, salad, foods and in various other industries (e.g.
oils and fats are basically similar in composition. The cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, medicinal
difference between oil and a fat is that oil is usually properties, etc…). They are key components of the diet
liquid at ambient temperature (room temperature) such as and also provide characteristic flavours and textures to
olive oil while a fat is solid[1]. Also vegetable oils foods.
consist primarily of large molecules called triglycerides It is intended to study the properties of some of these
and they are insoluble in water and greasy to touch [2, 3]. oil samples through the phsico-chemical tests like
(refractive index, specific gravity, viscosity, iodine value,
Corresponding author:Nabil Adil Fakhre (1958 ), male. peroxide value, percentage of free fatty acid and pH
Professor Dr., research fields: Environmental analytical value) in Iraqi Kurdistan region – Hawler city center. The
chemistry. E-mail:[email protected] study aims to shed more light on the oil acidity and
Hemn Khalid Qadir (1978- ), male. High Diploma in composition of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Analytical chemistry; research fields: studies on physico
- chemical characteristic and composition of Experimental
triacylglycerols in some edible oils. E-
mail:[email protected] 2.1Apparatus
Thermostatically controlled KRÜSS refractometer
Germany, model (2003), Digital viscometer (SETA, KV-
8 VISCOMETER BATH with 6 holders), model 2002
(STANHOPE, FRANCE), Pycnometer (size 1.0 ml)
Fats and oils have been used for food and a variety of (quartz-MAREINFIELD, Germany) and pH/ion-meter
other applications since prehistoric times, as they were 315i/SET (Werkstätten GmbH WTW instrument,
easily isolated from their source and Fats and oils found Germany, accuracy - 0.001 pH) with a pH combination
utility because of their unique properties. These electrode SenTix41.
ingredients were found to add flavor, lubricity, texture,
and satiety to foods. They have also been found to have a 2.2. Reagents and standards
major role in human nutrition. Fats and oils are the Acetic acid (%96) v/v reagent grade, Acetone
highest energy source of the three basic foods (%99.6), Diethyl ether (analytical grade) and Ethanol
(carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), carriers for oil soluble absolute (extra pure) purchased from SCHARLAU
vitamins, and many contain fatty acids essential for CHEM. S.A., Spanish with Carbon tetrachloride, pure,
health that are not manufactured by the human body [4] . Chloroform, extra pure, Ethanol (95 % v/v), iodine
There are many tests designed to measure physical monochloride, Glacial acetic acid, Methanol (extra pure,
and chemical properties of oils like (specific gravity, assay > 99.5 %) , 0.10 M KOH solution, Potassium
refractive index, viscosity, iodine value, saponification iodide solution 10.0 % and Sodium thiosulfate solution
value, peroxide value, acid value, titer, melting point, (0.10 N) were purchased from (MERK, GERMANY)
cloud point, flash point, smoke point and volatility). A
part from the purpose of quality control, tests are carried 2.3. Vegetable oil samples
out to find out the origin and properties of a given oil, to Eleven vegetable oils were selected and purchased
know whether the oil will meet the set specifications from different markets in Iraqi Kurdistan region (Hawler
which include the mentioned qualities and to get City center), and coded as shown in Table 1 with detail
technical information and determine the availability of information and, until analyses, were maintained in the
contaminants. These tests give technicians much valuable dark, at room temperature.
information to enable them assess given oil by
considering the earlier mentioned factors [5].
The physical value of oil depend upon its chemical
composition, even today these values play a vital role Table 1 Sample codes and manufacturing companies
while using different oil for industrial product [6]. The
chemical and physical properties of edible oils depend
primarly on composition and temperature. Pure fats and
oils are generally white or yellow solids and liquids. Pure
fats and oils are also odorless and tasteless [7]. However,
over a period of time fats become rancid they develop an
unpleasant odor and tasted. Fats and oils are insoluble in
water but are soluble in such organic liquids as benzene,
acetone, and ether [8, 9].
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2.4. Tests used in the present work Sample Name of Manufacture Quantity Manufacture Expire
2.4.1 Determination of refractive index code sample oil country date date

After calibration the refractometer few drops of the oil S1 Sunflower oil Turkey 1 Liter 02/2009 02/2011
sample were transferred into the glass slide of the S2 Sunflower oil Turkey 1 Liter 03/2008 03/2010
refractometer, while water at 30 o C was circulated
around the glass slide to keep its temperature uniform.
S3 Sunflower oil Turkey 1 Liter 03/2009 04/2011
Through the eyepiece of the refractometer, the dark
portion viewed was adjusted to be in line with the
intersection of the cross. At no parallax error, the pointer S4 Sunflower oil Turkey 1 Liter 02/2009 02
on the scale pointed to the refractive index [10]. The /2011
refractive index recorded at, 30, 40, 50 and 60 o C. O1 Olive oil Turkey 250 ml 9/2008 9/2010

2.4.2 Determination of viscosity O2 Olive oil Spanish 100 ml 11/2008 11/2010

After calibration the viscometer was charged with the O3 Olive oil Turkey 250 ml 11/2008 11/2010
sample by inverting the tube’s thinner arm into the liquid Cn Corn oil Saudi Arabia 2 Liter 03/2009 03/2011
sample and suction force was drawn up to the upper Cr Castor oil Bahrain 100 ml 02/2008 02/2010
timing mark of the viscometer, after which the
instrument was turned to it’s normal vertical position. Ct Coconut oil Bahrain 100 ml 01/2009 01/2013
The viscometer was placed into a holder and inserted to a Ca Canola oil Iran 1Liter 04/2009 03/2013
constant temperature bath set at 25° C and allowed
approximately 10 minutes for the sample to come to the composition. In fats RI increases with increasing chain
bath temperature at 25° C. The suction force was then length of fatty acids in the triglycerides or with
applied to the thinner arm to draw the sample slightly increasing unsaturation. This makes it an excellent spot
above the upper timing mark. The afflux time by timing test for uniformity of compositions of oils and fats [4].
the flow of the sample as it flow freely from the upper In the view of the presence study the RI of the
timing mark to the lower timing mark was recorded. The vegetable oil samples were measured at various
expression for viscosity is: temperatures (30, 40, 50 and 60 o C) as shown in Table 2.
ν = k×t ……………………………… (1) As expected it seems that the refractive index values
where k is constant (k=1.129, 1.118), t is the afflux time decrease with increasing temperatures.
and ν is the kinematics viscosity. The method was
repeated at 40, 60, 80 and 98° C and the viscosity at each Table 2 Refractive index data of vegetable oils at different
temperature was calculated [4, 10]. temperatures for stored.

Sample Temp. o C
code
2.4.3 Standard procedure for determination of specific 30 40 50 60
gravity (Sp.gr.), acid value (AV), percentage of free fatty
S1 1.4720 1.4715 1.4710 1.4705
acid (%FFA), iodine value (IV) and peroxide value (PV).
The above testes were determined according to
S2 1.4715 1.4710 1.4705 1.4700
(920.213), (940.28), (940.35), (993.20) and (965.33)
association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) S3 1.4750 1.4745 1.4740 1.4735
(1995) methods respectively [11]. S4 1.4720 1.4715 1.4710 1.4705

2.4.4 Determination of pH value O1 1.4695 1.4690 1.4685 1.4680

Two gram of the sample was poured into a clean dry O2 1.4670 1.4660 1.4655 1.4650
25ml beaker and 13.0 ml of hot distilled water was added
to the sample in the beaker and stirred slowly to dissolve O3 1.4660 1.4650 1.4645 1.4635
the sample. It was then cooled to room temperature. The Cn 1.4705 1.4700 1.4600 1.4550
pH electrode was standardized with buffer solutions and Cr 1.4695 1.4685 1.4680 1.4670
the electrode immersed into the sample and the pH value
was read and recorded [10]. Ct 1.4585 1.4575 1.4570 1.4560
Ca 1.4765 1.4760 1.4750 1.4745
3. Results and discussion
3.1 Measurement of refractive index as a function of Table 2 shows that all vegetable oil samples have
temperature different RI values except in sunflower oil samples (S1)
Refractive index plays an important role in many and (S2) have the same RI values at various
branches of physics, biology and chemistry [12]. The temperatures. This is may be to the fact that RI values
refractive index of fats and oils is sensitive to their
 4
increase with chain length of fatty acids in the Cr 0.8888 3.124 0.423 102.00 8 7.628
triglycerides or with degree of unsaturation [13]. Ct 0.9864 0.470 0.410 71.00 6 7.203

Ca 0.7364 0.650 0.454 162.86 10 6.201

3.2 Measurement of viscosity at different temperatures
Viscosity refers to the thickness of the oil, and is
determined by measuring the amount of time taken for a
given measure of oil to pass through an orifice of the In the first Density may not seem an exciting physical
specific size [14]. property to many technologists, but it is very important in
Therefore, viscosity must be closely correlated with the trading of oils since shipments are sold on a weight
the structural parameters of the fluid particles. On the basis but measured on a volume basis [17] . Table 4 shows
basis of published data concerning flow properties of different values of Sp. gr. that may be attributed to the
oils, the oil viscosity has a direct relationship with some different fatty-acid composition [4], different total solid
chemical characteristics of the lipids, such as the degree content [10] and different degree of saturation [18].
of unsaturation and the chain length of the fatty acids that Acid value (AV) is an important indicator of
constitute the triacylglycerols [4]. Its value increases with vegetable oil quality. AV is expressed as the amount of
increasing degree of saturation and decreased with the KOH (in milligrams) necessary to neutralize free fatty
increase in temperature [15], also the viscosity slightly acids contained in 1.0 g of oil [15, 19]. But the free fatty
decreases with increasing the degree of unsaturation [16]. acid (%FFA) content is a conventional expression of the
In this work the viscosity were measured at different percentage mass-fraction of total fat. According to the
temperatures (25, 40, 60, 80 and 98 o C) and the data nature of the fat it is expressed as lauric acid for coconut,
shown in table below palm kernel, and similar oils, as palmitic acid for palm
oil and as oleic acid for all other oils [20] . In the view of
Table 3 viscosity data of edible oils at different the results shown in Table 4, all the samples have
temperatures acceptable AV and %FFA values except samples S2 and
O1 have unacceptable higher values and this is may be

Sample Temp. o C
Table 3 seems that the viscosity values decrease with code
increasing the temperature except in the case of S2, S3, 25 40 60 80 98
O2 and O3 the values remain stable with increasing the
temperature and may be related to the different chain S1 53.063 31.612 18.064 11.290 7.930
length of the fatty acids that constitute the
triacylglycerols or due to different degree of unsaturation S2 59.254 36.894 20.124 12.298 10.062
[4, 16]
.
S3 51.428 29.068 20.124 12.298 10.062
3.3 Measurement of other physico-chemical tests
The physico-chemical tests (specific gravity, acid S4 51.934 29.354 16.935 10.161 6.774
value, percentage of free fatty acid, iodine value,
peroxide value and pH values) of the vegetable oil O1 60.372 30.186 17.888 11.180 7.826
samples were measured according to AOAC official
O2 69.998 33.870 19.193 12.419 9.032
methods. The results are shown in the Table 4.
O3 67.740 32.741 19.193 12.419 9.032
Table 4 various teats data of edible oils at
different temperatures Cn 49.676 28.225 16.935 10.161 6.774
Oil Sp. gr. Acid %FFA Iodine Peroxide pH Cr 54.782 30.186 17.888 11.180 8.944
Sample value value value
Ct 56.654 32.435 19.286 13.340 10.240
(AV) (IV) (PV)
S1 0.8833 0.524 0.410 125.21 8 6.301 Ca 48.666 27.115 15.987 10.161 6.899
due to the presence of higher free fatty acids as rancid
S2 0.8802 0.802 11.200 159.55 36 5.593 oil (21) , which is hazardous for human uses.
The iodine value (or "iodine adsorption value" or
S3 0.8970 0.628 1.200 118.65 16 6.220
"iodine number" or "iodine index") in chemistry is the
S4 0.8851 0.557 2.800 124.89 10 6.659 mass of iodine in grams that is consumed by 100.0 grams
of a chemical substance . One of the applications of the
O1 0.8883 18.930 17.950 101.25 40 6.693 iodine number is the determination of the amount of
O2 0.8974 3.220 0.750 80.57 12 7.203 unsaturation contained in fatty acids. This unsaturation is
in the form of double bonds which react with iodine
O3 0.9138 3.450 1.011 72.00 13 7.628 compounds. The higher the iodine number, the more
unsaturated fatty acid bonds are present in a fat [22]. Table
Cn 0.9009 0.514 0.540 110.81 6 7.269 4 presents the iodine value of various edible oil samples
 5
obtained according to Wij,s (993.20), AOAC (1995) The close and systematic association has been
method [11]. As in the measurement of AV and %FFA observed between some of physico-chemical tests
samples S2, O1 and Ca have unacceptable values of especially between AV, % FFA, IV and pH values. A
iodine values in comparison with the guide line of density and specific gravity may not seem an exciting
standard data of IV of most edible oils. physical property for evaluating edible oils. In
The peroxide value of an oil or fat is used as a Comparison between the specific gravity and IV, the
measurement of the extent to which rancidity reactions study suggested that as the sp.gr. is lower represent that
have occurred during storage and The best test for the IV is higher values. Also study suggests that when
autoxidation (oxidative rancidity) is determination of the the PV is high and abnormal rang value that which
peroxide value The peroxide values presented in Table indicates that the IV also is higher or abnormal rang but
3.3 were determined which express of oxidation or not reversely.
rancidity in its early stages [23] . The results indicate that
the samples S2 and O1 have greater and abnormal values 5. References
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