Checking alkali delivery of a proportioner in vegetable oil refining

Summary A method has been developed for the determination of soda ash and sodium hydroxide in vegetable oil-alkali mixtures as a check on proportioning equipment feeding oil and alkali. The method depends upon the potentiometric titration in one step of free alkali and soap, using a pH meter and the glass electrode-calomel electrode assembly. The analysis is sufficiently rapid to serve as a convenient control in a continuous refining process.