Acid value

For example, for analysis of crude oil:[6]

${\displaystyle AV=(V_{eq}-b_{eq})N{\frac {\text{56.1 g/mol}}{W_{\text{oil}}}}}$

Where KOH is the titrant, wherease crude oil is the titrand.

V_eq is the volume of titrant (ml) consumed by the crude oil sample and 1 ml of spiking solution at the equivalent point,

b_eq is the volume of titrant (ml) consumed by 1 ml of spiking solution at the equivalent point,

56.1 g/mol is the molecular weight of KOH,

W_oil is the mass of the sample in grams.

The normality (N) of titrant is calculated as:

${\displaystyle N={\frac {1000\times W_{\text{KHP}}}{{\text{204.23 g/mol }}\times V_{eq}}}}$

Where W_KHP is the mass (g) of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) in 50 ml of KHP standard solution,

V_eq is the volume of titrant (ml) consumed by 50 ml KHP standard solution at the equivalent point,

204.23 g/mol is the molecular weight of KHP.

An increment in the amount of FFAs in a fat or oil sample indicates hydrolysis of triglycerides. Such reaction occurs by the action of lipase enzyme and it is an indicator of inadequate processing and storage conditions. The source of the enzyme can be the tissue from which the oil or fat was extracted or it can be a contaminant from other cells including microorganisms.[1]

For determining the acid value of mineral oils and biodiesel, there are standard methods such as ASTM D 974 and DIN 51558, and especially for biodiesel the European Standard EN 14104 and ASTM D664 are both widely used worldwide.[2] Acid value of biodiesel should be lower than 0.50 mg KOH/g in both EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standard fuels. This is because the FFAs produced can corrode automotive parts, hence these limits protect vehicle engines and fuel tanks.[5]

Low acid value indicates good cleansing by soap.[7]

When oils and fats become rancid, triglycerides are converted into fatty acids and glycerol, causing an increase in acid value.[8] A similar situation is observed during aging of biodiesel through analogous oxidation and when subjected to prolonged high temperatures (ester thermolysis) or through exposure to acids or bases (acid/base ester hydrolysis).[5]

Transesterification of waste cooking oil, having high acid value and high water content, can be performed using heteropolyacids such as dodecatungstophosphoric acid (PW12) as a catalyst.[9][10]

In 2007, Sahoo et al. made biodiesel consisting of mono-esters of polanga oil extract of the plant Calophyllum inophyllum produced by triple stage transesterification and blended with high speed diesel, which was then tested for its use as a diesel substitute in a single cylinder diesel engine.[11]

Total acidity, fatty acid profiles, and free fatty acids (FFAs) can be determined for oils such as sunflower and soybean oils obtained by green processes involving supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The identification and separation of the primary fatty acids responsible for acidity can ensure higher quality of fat and oil products.[12]

In 2020, Dallas Group of America (DGA)[13] and American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) devised a standard method (5a-40) for testing free fatty acid in cooking oils.[14] The DGA has produced a simplified test kit based on the 5a-40 test method. [15]