Draft East African Standard: DEAS 847-5: 2015
Draft East African Standard: DEAS 847-5: 2015
Draft East African Standard: DEAS 847-5: 2015
ICS 71.100.70
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Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing
requirements governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that
through harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are
exchanged within the Community will be removed.
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee
mandated to develop and issue East African Standards.
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures
of the Community.
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the
standards they are implementing.
DEAS 847-5 was prepared by Technical Committee EAS/TC 071, Cosmetics and cosmetic products.
DEAS 847- 5: 2015
1. Scope
This Standard gives the test method for the determination of unsaponifiable matter in oils for cosmetic
industry
2. Principle
The material is completely saponified with alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution and extracted with
petroleum ether. The petroleum ether extract is washed with aqueous alcohol and then again with water.
The washed ether extract is evaporated and the residue weighed. Unsaponifiable matter is this residue
minus the fatty acid present in it, which is determined by titration with sodium hydroxide solution in alcoholic
medium.
3. Apparatus
3.1 Flat-bottomed or Conical Flask - 250 to 300 ml capacity. An ordinary round, flat-bottomed flask fitted
with a long glass tube which acts as a condenser, may also be used.
4. Reagents
4.2 Ethyl Alcohol - aldehyde-free ethyl alcohol (95 percent by volume) or Absolute ethanol or rectified
spirit.
4.3 Phenolphthalein Indicator Solution - Dissolve one gram of phenolphthalein in 100 ml of ethyl alcohol.
5. Procedure
Weigh accurately about 5 g of the well-mixed sample into the flask. Add 50 ml of alcoholic potassium
hydroxide solution (see 4.1). Boil gently but steadily under a reflux condenser for one hour or until the
saponification is complete. Wash the condenser with about 10 ml of ethyl alcohol, cool the mixture and
transfer it to a separating funnel. Complete the transfer by washing the flask first with some ethyl alcohol and
then wash with cold water. Altogether, add 50 ml of water to the separating funnel followed by an addition of
50 ml of petroleum ether.
DEAS 847- 5: 2015
5.2 Insert the stopper and shake vigorously for at least one minute, releasing the pressure at intervals,
and allow to settle until both the layers are clear. Transfer the lower layer containing the soap solution
to another separating funnel, and repeat the ether extraction at least six times more using 50 ml of
petroleum ether for each extraction. If any emulsion is formed, add a small quantity of ethyl alcohol or
alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution.
5.3 Collect all the ether extracts in a separating funnel. Wash the combined extracts in the funnel three
times with 25 ml portions of aqueous alcohol shaking vigorously and drawing off the alcohol-water
layer after each washing. Again wash the ether layer successively with 20 ml portions of water until
the wash-water no longer turns pink on addition of a few drops of phenolphthalein indicator solution.
Do not remove any of the ether layers. Transfer the ether layer to a tared flask containing a few
pieces of pumice stone, and evaporate to dryness on a water-bath r. To remove the last traces of
o
ether and water, place the flask in an air-oven at 105 C for about one hour.
5.4 Cool in a desiccator and weigh. Repeat the evaporation, cooling and weighing until a constant weight
is obtained.
5.5 After weighing, take up the residue in 50 ml of warm neutral ethyl alcohol, containing a few drops of
phenolphthalein indicator solution and titrate with standard sodium hydroxide solution.
6. Calculation
6.1 Weight (B) in g of the fatty acids in the extract (as oleic acid)
B = 0.282 VN
where,
= 100 (A – B)
m
where,