A Greener Alternative Titration Method for Measuring Acid Values of Fats, Oils, and Grease

A greener alternative method is proposed for measuring acid values (AV) of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) based on visual titration. Compared with Official Method Cd 3d-63 of the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS), this greener alternative method can eliminate the use of toluene, which in turn reduces toxicity and cost. A total of 44 samples of yellow and brown grease with AV ranging from 0.13 to 170.37 (mg KOH) g(-1) were titrated using both methods. The alternative titration method can provide accurate and reliable results to determine the AV of FOG by various statistical analyses including repeatability, linear regression, f-test, t-test, and method accuracy calibration with AOCS Cd 3d-63. This low-cost method can be recommended for routine titration in research and development, and in biodiesel plants for most FOG samples.