The oxidation stability of fats and oils has been a standard parameter in quality assurance for many years.
Description of the method
To determine oxidation stability with the Rancimat method, air is passed through the test sample at a high temperature to cause artificial aging. During this process the fatty acids are oxidized by oxygen, forming volatile organic compounds and other products. These are driven off by the stream of air, absorbed in water and detected there by means of conductivity measurement. The time until these degradation products form is known as induction time and characterizes the resistance of the sample to oxidative aging processes, i.e. the oxidation stability.
Ointments, lotions, cosmetics
The method is used to monitor natural fats and oils which are used in the manufacture of fat-containing phar maceutical products such as ointments, creams and lotions. In many cases it is, however, also possible to examine the oxidation stability of the finished formulations. The requirement here is that the proportion of fat in the sample is significantly higher than the proportion of water
