Investigation of methods for determining the refining efficiency of crude oils

Conclusions Various methods for estimating the neutral oil content, or conversely the loss constituents of crude cottonseed oil and soybean oil, have been explored. Of those techniques studied the International Chemical Union chromatographic procedure seemed most appropriate because it was found to be reasonably accurate and most reproducible, was easy and rapid to carry out, and required no special, elaborate, or expensive equipment. The chromatographic method has been successfully applied to a variety of crude cottonseed and soybean oils and to a few vegetable oil residues containing high percentages of loss constituents. The results obtained with this technique would appear to be eminently suitable for evaluating the efficiency of plant refining processes. Indications are that the method might ultimately prove useful for establishing the value of the various lots of crude cottonseed oil and soybean oil which normally change hands in commercial channels. The last-mentioned application will probably have to wait for the development of a suitable companion, semimicro, or chromatographic bleach test and the adoption of an adequate acceptable standard spectrophotometric method for measuring oil color. Presented at annual fall meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society, Chicago, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 1949