Method and test kit for determining the amount of polar substances in fat
AssigneeOil Process Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael M. Blumenthal, Jerry R. Stockler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composition and test kit for determining the amount of polar substances in fat are disclosd by employing a test solution which is immiscible with the fat in question, and which provides a polychromatic visible or fluorescent color change in the test solution in response to characteristic amounts of polar substances in the fat. The visible or fluorescent color change can be used to compare to a known standard to determine the amount of polar substances in the fat.
Claims19
A process for the determination of the amount of polar substances in fat, said process comprising the steps of:
- (1) mixing a predetermined amount of a one phase test solution with a predetermined amount of the fat, said test solution including an indicator and a solvent, wherein the indicator is soluble in the solvent and the fat is substantially immiscible with the solvent, wherein the pH of the test solution is sufficiently acidic or basic such that any change in color of said test solution is not due to the presence of acids or bases extracted from said fat into said test solution, and said indicator in combination with polar substances extracted from the fat will provide polychromatic visible or fluorescent color changes in said test solution in response to characteristic amounts of polar substances in the fat, and wherein the indicator and solvent are present in amounts effective to provide said polychromatic visible or fluorescent color change in relation to the amount of polar substances in the fat;
- (2) allowing the fat and test solution to separate into a solvent phase and a fat phase;
- and
- (3) determining the amount of polar substances in the fat from the color developed in the solvent phase by comparing said developed color to a known standard.
A test kit for determining the amount of polar substances in fat, said test kit comprising (1) a one phase solution including an indicator and a solvent in which the indicator is soluble and with which a fat is substantially immiscible, wherein the pH of the test solution is sufficiently acidic or basic such that any change in color of said test solution is not due to the presence of the extraction of acids or bases extracted from the fat when the test solution is mixed with fat having a characteristic amount of polar substances therein, and the indicator in combination with polar substances to be extracted from the fat will provide a polychromatic visible or fluorescent color change in said test solution in response to such characteristic amounts of polar substances in the fat, and wherein the indicator and solvent are present in amounts effective to provide said polychromatic visible or fluorescent color change in relation to the amount of polar substances in the fat;
- and (2) a set of colors standardized so that each color of the set corresponds to a color developed when a predetermined amount of fat having a specified amount of polar substances is mixed with a predetermined amount of the test solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.