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Content of unsaturated fats measured by the iodine number in coconut and sunflower oil after being
heated up at increasing temperatures
1 Introduction
1.1 Research question
How does the content of unsaturated fatty acids change when coconut and sunflower oil are warmed up
at increasing temperatures?
1.2 Reasons for choosing the topic
Oils are most commonly used for frying, meaning that their temperature is significantly raised. As oils,
especially crude ones, are very prone to chemical changes in their composition under high temperatures,
I wondered whether the composition of fatty acids contained in them may change. Fats that are contained
in oils are long chains of hydrocarbons with carboxyl groups, and based on the bonds present are divided
into three types: saturated (single bonds), monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (double bonds).
Evaluating the evidence from years of research, concerning which type of fat is the healthiest to
consume, American Heart Association recommended that it is more beneficial to decrease the intake of

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foods high in saturated fats (to which belong coconut oil or palm oil), and replace it with foods high in
unsaturated fats (to which belong sunflower oil or grapeseed oil).1 When fried, food absorbs oil in the

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amount of about 8-25%2 of its own weight, therefore the right choice of oil seems very important in our

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diets. Because unsaturated oils are said to be the most healthy, it seems obvious that they should be our
main source of fatty acids. gm
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1.3 Background information

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However, unsaturated oils are less stable than saturated oils when heated and tend to react their double
bonds with oxygen, forming harmful compounds. Furthermore, coconut oil which is used in this
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investigation, contains a special type of saturated fat, which in 50 percent constitutes of lauric acid,
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unlike other oils rich in saturated fats.3 This particular acid is proven to boost the “good” high density
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lipoprotein cholesterol, instead of lowering it.4 What is more, coconut oil is a source of many nutrients
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and have antioxidant properties. On the other hand, sunflower oil, which is the second oil used in the
investigation, consists in 90 percent of highly recommended poly and mono unsaturated fat, exactly
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opposite to coconut oil. This fat is considered the most healthy, and as the food absorbs oil, also the best
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to cook on.
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1.4 Aim
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In the light of these facts, I want to determine how does the content of unsaturated fatty acids change
when coconut and sunflower oil are warmed up at increasing temperatures. The temperatures are
set to be 65, 75, 85, 95 and 105 degrees Celsius, which are below the smoke points of both oils. It is
important for the investigation to not exceed the smoke points of oils (107℃ for sunflower oil and 177℃

1
Lichtenstein AH, et al. (June 16, 2006). Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations Revision 2006. A Scientific
Statement From the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 114 (1): 82–96.
doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.176158. PMID 16785338.
2
Dietitians from Healthy Dining Finder. (n.d.). Oil Absorption of Fried Foods. Retrieved May 3, 2019, from
https://www.healthydiningfinder.com/blogs-recipes-more/Ask-the-Dietitians/Oil-Absorption-of-Fried-Foods
3
Walter C. Willett, M.D. (2018, August 22). Ask the doctor: Coconut oil and health. Harvard School of Public
Health Department of Nutrition. Retrieved May 11, 2019, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-
healthy/coconut-oil
4
Nicole M. de Roos, Evert G. Schouten, Martijn B. Katan (February, 2001) Consumption of a Solid Fat Rich in
Lauric Acid Results in a More Favorable Serum Lipid Profile in Healthy Men and Women than Consumption of
a Solid Fat Rich in trans-Fatty Acids. The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 131, Issue 2, Pages 242–245,
https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/131.2.242

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for coconut oil)5, because then they can produce toxic fumes and free radicals. The results obtained
would show if the change in the amount of unsaturated fats after heating is significant enough to be
taken into consideration, while choosing between frying on coconut or sunflower oil. If the results show
that the content of unsaturated fat has changed significantly under the influence of temperature in both
fats, especially in sunflower oil (containing 90% of PUFA compared to only 9% in coconut oil), a better
understanding of the properties of both oils will be reached, thus leading to a more conscious decision
about the usage of them.
The content of UFA (unsaturated fatty acids) will be indicated by the iodine number, measured with the
help of Wij’s (iodine monochloride), potassium iodide and sodium thiosulphate solutions. Iodine
number (or value) is the number of grams of iodine absorbed by 100 grams of fat6. It is an important
method of measuring the unsaturation and saturation of fats and oils, which directly depends on the
number of double bonds present in them. Saturated fats and oils have low iodine values, as they mostly
contain single bonded carbons, while unsaturated fats and oils have high iodine values, because they are
mostly build of double bonds that can be saturated. The mechanism behind indicating the iodine number
in this investigation will be described later in the essay.

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1.5 Hypothesis

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The content of unsaturated fatty acids in both oils will slightly decrease after being heated up at

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increasing temperatures. Unsaturation of the oils is measured by the iodine number, which will also
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decrease as it indicates the content of UFA. The decrease in UFA may be caused by the saturation of
the double bonds of the oils consistent with the temperature rise7.
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1.6 Safety, ethical and environmental considerations

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Wij’s solution (iodine monochloride in ethanoic acid) is deemed corrosive, flammable, toxic and raises
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blisters on the skin. It causes severe burns and has an irritating vapour8, therefore eye protection, gloves
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and apron has been worn during the experiment. Any operations involving Wij’s solution have been
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carried out carefully and in a fume cupboard.

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Potassium iodide solution is of low-hazard as its concentration is highly below 1 M. Sodium thiosulphate
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solution is also of low-hazard.9

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Water usage was minimized and water was used only when necessary. A heater was used to warm up
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the samples which consumed a lot of energy. In order to minimize the energy usage, turn off the machine
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when it is not needed. The contents of the bottles should be poured down the outside drain in a bucket
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with water, as they are of low hazard and do not cause any damage to environment or living organisms.

5
Wikipedia contributors. (2019, May 26). Template: Smoke point of cooking oils. Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 25, 2019, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Smoke_point_of_cooking_oils#cite_note-nutiva1-10
6
W. da Silva Oliveira, D. Andrade Neves, C. Augusto Ballus. (2019) 5 - Mature chemical analysis methods for
food chemical properties evaluation. Pages 63-90. Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology
and Nutrition, Evaluation Technologies for Food Quality, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814217-2.00005-6.
7
O. Obimakinde, Samuel & O Dawodu, Modupe & Olutona, Godwin & O Obimakinde, Samuel. (2015). Effect
of Temperature on the Chemical Characteristics of Vegetable Oils Consumed in Ibadan, Nigeria. Pakistan
Journal of Nutrition. 14. 698-707. 10.3923/pjn.2015.698.707.
8
Mike S. (1994, January). Unilever Educational Booklet: Advanced Series. Unilever. Retrieved July 28, 2019,
from https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/31275/fats-and-oils.
9
CLEAPSS (2018). Student Safety Sheets 2nd Edition 2018, CLEAPSS. Retrieved July 31, 2019, from
science.cleapss.org.uk/Resource/Student-Safety-Sheets-ALL.pdf

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2 Variables

Independent variable

Two types of oils, coconut oil and sunflower oil bought at an eco-market. Both oils are extra virgin and
cold pressed, so that their properties have not been changed during any chemical processing. Oils were
not left overnight so that no oxidation would occur.
-Coconut oil: cold pressed, extra virgin; contains 80-90% of several types of saturated fatty acids,
predominantly lauric acid (47%)10; therefore 82.5 out of 100 grams is saturated fat11; coconut oil is solid
at room temperature.
-Sunflower oil: cold pressed, extra virgin; contains 86% of unsaturated fatty acids and 10%
saturated12; liquid at room temperature.

Dependent variable
1. The volume [cm3] of 0.1 M sodium thiosulphate solution that was titrated into the samples with oil,
which determined allows to calculate iodine value (I.V).

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Controlled variable

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Variable Method of control Reason for control

Volume of Wij’s solution.
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10 cm3 of Wij’s solution (iodine monochloride) If the constant excess amount of
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was added to every oil sample using a 10 cm3 Wij’s solution (10 cm3) varied, the
graduated burette, which was cleaned after each amount of liberated iodine after
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usage. adding potassium iodide to the

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sample would also change. This

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would be the main error of iodine

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value in the experiment.

Volume of 10% potassium iodide 15 cm3 of potassium iodide solution was added If the constant amount of potassium
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to every oil sample after the addition of Wij’s iodide solution (15 cm3) varied, there
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solution, using a 25 cm3 graduated cylinder, could be changes in the iodine that
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which was cleaned after every usage. was liberated during the reaction
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between iodine monochloride and

potassium iodide.
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Volume of deionized water 10 cm3 of deionized water was added after Less deionized water might cause the
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potassium iodide, so that excess iodine is liberated iodine to not dissolve

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dissolved. properly.
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Molarity of sodium thiosulphate 0.1 M sodium thiosulphate was made using a 1 L
stoppered cylinder and used for each sample.
When finished, the same amounts of solid
sodium thiosulphate and deionized water were
mixed to create 0.1 M solution.
Time of oil samples with Wij’s The samples were put into a dark place for 30
solution being in the dark minutes each.
Different molarities of sodium
thiosulphate used during the
experiment would give a different end
point of titration, therefore different
iodine value.
Iodine monochloride halogenates the
double bonds present in the oil, and
because this method uses a stable
Wij’s solution, the time this reaction
takes is approximately half an hour.

10
Harvard T.H. CHAN. (2019, May 22) Coconut oil. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coconut-oil/.
11
USDA. (2019, January 4). FoodData Central Search Results. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/330458/nutrients.
12
NutriStrategy. (2015). Fats, Cooking Oils and Fatty Acids. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from
https://www.nutristrategy.com/fatsoils.htm.

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For warming the oils:

 1 pot
3 Methodology  Equipment for heating up
3.1 Apparatus water in a pot (heater)
 1 L tap water
Materials:  5 test tubes
 50 ml extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil  Laboratory thermometer with
 50 ml extra virgin, cold pressed sunflower oil max. temperature 150℃
 1 graduated pipette with safety filler 10 cm3 ± 0.03 cm3 ±0.05℃
 6 stoppered Erlenmeyer flasks 250 cm3  10 test tube holders
 1 graduated cylinder 20 cm3 ± 0.2 cm3  1 rack for test tubes
 Electronic scale accurate to 4 decimal places ±0.0002 g Chemicals:
 1 volumetric flask 1000 cm3 ± 0.8 cm3
 1 burette stand  10% potassium iodide
 1 burette 25 cm3 ± 0.05 cm3 solution
 1 funnel  0.1 mol dm-3 sodium
 1 small pipette (for a few drops of starch) thiosulphate solution

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 1% starch solution
 Wij’s solution

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3.2 Method of measuring iodine value  Deionized water

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gm
To determine the iodine value, a few steps have been taken. First, the oil sample is treated with known
excess of Wij’s (iodine monochloride) solution. The reaction for this process is called halogenation.
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Iodine monochloride reacts with unsaturated bonds present in oil to produce di-halogenated single bond
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with iodine bonded to one carbon atom (scheme)13:

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HALOGENATION
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The colour of the solution becomes the colour of iodine monochloride, which is dark orange/brown.
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The residual iodine monochloride is then reacted with a solution of potassium iodide, to determine the
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iodine that has reacted. The amount of reacted iodine is used to determine the degree of unsaturation of
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the oil. Addition of potassium iodide causes the unreacted ICl to liberate molecular iodine as in the
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reaction below:
ICl (aq)(excess) + KI(aq) –––> KCl(aq) + I2 (aq)(liberated)
The solution becomes pale yellow as shown in Figure 3.
The liberated I2 is then titrated against sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O4) solution and a redox titration takes
place:
2 S2O32-(aq) –––> S4O62-(aq) + 2e-
I2 (aq) + 2e- –––> 2 I-(aq)
overall equation: I2 + 2 Na2S2O3 –––> 2 NaI + Na2S2O4
Not bonded iodine causes the solution to be straw coloured, therefore starch indicator is added close to
titration end point. Starch indicator makes the solution dark blue coloured so that the titration end point
is indicated more precisely. I2 reacts then with Na2S2O3 to finally give a colourless solution, which means

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Retrieved July 31, 2019, from http://www.drcarman.info/kem220lb/14lab220.pdf

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that all iodine is bonded and the amount of sodium thiosulphate used depends on the amount of iodine
present. The more Na2S2O3 is used, the more saturated the oil is. Blank titration will therefore have the
most sodium thiosulphate used, as no iodine from Wij’s solution is bonded and all becomes molecular
iodine after adding potassium iodide. This relation is essential for determining the iodine number. The
volume of Na2S2O3 used for a ‘sample’ is subtracted from the volume of Na2S2O3 used in the blank
titration, giving the difference between sodium thiosulphate used and therefore iodine liberated. The
difference in volume also stands for the degree of unsaturation. Having this data, the following formula
for iodine value has been used14:
(𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑘−𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒)×12.7×0.1
𝐼. 𝑉 = 0.3 𝑔
. [1]

Where:

 𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑘 – the volume of sodium thiosulphate required to titrate the blank solution
 𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 – the volume of sodium thiosulphate required to titrate the sample
solution with oil
 12.7 - standard solutions are used, therefore it is a gram equivalent weight of iodine (12.7g of I2

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in 0.1 litre gives 0.1 N iodine)
 0.1 – normality of standard sodium thiosulphate solution

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 0.3 g – the amount of oil in the sample

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3.3 Preparing 0.1 M sodium thiosulphate solution, Na2S2O3 (aq). gm
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0.1 M sodium thiosulphate solution was prepared with the help of 1000 cm3 volumetric flask. Knowing
the volume, molar mass and molar concentration, the mass of solid Na2S2O3 to obtain the appropriate
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solution was calculated by using the following formula:

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𝑛
c= →𝑛=𝑐×𝑣
𝑣
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𝑚
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𝑛= → 𝑚 =𝑛×𝑀 →𝒎=𝒄×𝒗×𝑴
𝑀
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M Na2S2O3∙5H2O = 248.18 g mol-1 (taken from the IB data booklet)

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m Na2S2O3∙5H2O = 0.1 mol dm-3 × 1 dm3 × 248.18 g mol-1 = 24.82 g

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Calculated mass of solid sodium thiosulphate was weighted on an electronic scale and dissolved in a
beaker with distilled water. Then the solution was poured into the 1000 cm3 volumetric flask and filled
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with distilled water up to the mark.

3.4 Preparing 10% potassium iodide solution, KI (aq).
To prepare 10% solution of potassium iodide, a simple proportion was calculated. The amount of sodium
iodide solution can be random and can be complemented when needed. It is important, however, that
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solid potassium iodide is 10 of the mass of water in the solution.

For 800 g of water:

800 𝑔 𝐾𝐼 ×10%
x= 100%
= 80 g

14
Retrieved July 31, 2019, from http://www.drcarman.info/kem220lb/14lab220.pdf

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3.5 Procedures
As no professional water bath for warming oils was available,
a modification was introduced in the experiment:
1. Fill half of the pot with water, put on the heating machine and set up for minimal power.
2. Use a part from the rack for test tubes and put it on the
pot so that it lies on the edges of it (see Figure 1).
3. Fill ten test tubes with appropriate amount of oil
(such that it is possible to measure their temperature
with a thermometer dipped).
Figure 3*: Color of the sample after adding
4. Secure the test tubes with test tube holders and deionized water and potassium iodide
put them into the water (see Figure 1). solution.

5. Control the temperature of the oils by using a laboratory thermometer.

When a given temperature is reached, immediately take out five test tubes and put them into the rack.

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Leave the remaining five test tubes until the next expected temperature is reached.

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6. Label the test tubes with the temperature they reached.

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gm
7. Follow the same procedure until all samples of both oils are warmed up at certain temperatures.
Titration15:
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1. Weight 0.3 g of sunflower or coconut oil into a dry

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250 cm3 stoppered Erlenmeyer flask.

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2. Add 10 cm3 of Wij’s solution using a graduated pipette with safety filler,
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stopper the bottle, swirl well and leave in a dark place

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for 30 minutes (the solution will have a brown/dark orange colour, see Figure 2).
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3. Prepare a blank mixture with 10 cm3 of Wij’s solution

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only and also leave in the dark for 30 minutes

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(the solution will have a brown/dark orange colour).

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4. After 30 minutes, add 10 cm3 of deionized water and

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Figure 1*: Construction of apparatus for

15 cm3 of 10% potassium iodide solution, warming up the oils; modification of a water
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stopper and swirl well (the solution will become yellow, see Figure 3). bath. The oil is in excess in every test tube in case
some of the procedures must be repeated.
5. Titrate the liberated iodine in each flask with standard 0.1 mol dm-3
sodium thiosulphate solution while gently swirling the bottle.
When yellow colour almost disappears, stop titrating,
add three drops of starch solution as an indicator of titration end point
(the solution will become dark blue).
6. Continue titrating until dark blue colour disappears.
7. Write down the volume of sodium thiosulphate used.
8. Follow steps 4 to 7 for only five times for the blank mixture to minimize error.
9. Follow steps from 1 to 7 for five samples for each temperature.
Figure 2*: Color of the sample with Wij’s solution.
15
Mike S. (1994, January). Unilever Educational Booklet: Advanced Series. Unilever. Retrieved July 28, 2019,
from https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/31275/fats-and-oils.

*All photographs are self-made.

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4 Raw data
4.1 Quantitative observations
Table 1: The volume of Na2S2O3 (aq) titrated against the samples of coconut oil with corresponding
temperatures and average values given..
volume of sodium thiosulphate used for coconut oil samples ±
0.2* [cm3] 𝑣𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑎𝑣𝑒 ±
temperature 0.2 [cm3]
trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 trial 4 trial 5 trial 6
± 0.05 [°C]
65.00 31.3 30.6 31.2 30.8 30.8 30.7 30.9
75.00 31.3 31.2 31.0 30.1 31.3 31.1 31.0
85.00 31.4 31.3 30.1 31.4 31.6 31.4 31.2
95.00 31.3 31.3 31.3 31.4 31.3 31.2 31.3
105.00 31.5 31.6 31.5 31.6 31.4 31.4 31.5
Average volumes of Na2S2O3 (aq) for both sunflower and coconut oil have been calculated by the formula
∑6𝑖=1 𝑣𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑖

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:
6

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Sample calculations for temperature 65℃ and coconut oil:
∑6𝑖=1 𝑣𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑖
gm
31.3+30.6+31.2+30.8+30.8+30.7+30.9
𝑣𝑁𝑎2𝑆2𝑂3 𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 30.9𝑐𝑚3
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6 6
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The same calculations have been carried out for sunflower oil samples, and yielded the following results:
Table 3: The volume of Na2S2O3 (aq) titrated against the samples of sunflower oil for corresponding temperatures and
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average values given.

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volume of sodium thiosulphate used for sunflower oil samples

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± 0.1 [cm3] 𝑣𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑎𝑣𝑒 ±

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temperature 0.1 [cm3]

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trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 trial 4 trial 5 trial 6

± 0.05 [°C]
14.2
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65 14.2 14.2 14.1 14.2 14.2 14.2

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75 14.3 14.3 14.2 14.4 14.3 14.3 14.3

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85 14.5 14.5 14.7 14.5 14.4 14.4 14.5

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95 14.6 14.5 14.7 14.6 14.5 14.7 14.6

105 15.0 14.8 14.9 14.8 14.8 15.1 14.9
Since the iodine number depends on the results from blank titration, six blanks have been carried out to
minimize the uncertainty. Its averaged value and error have been calculated similarly to the previous
calculations.
Table 4: The volume of Na2S2O3 (aq) titrated against the blank solutions.
trial volume of sodium thiosulphate used for blanks ± 0.2 [cm3] 𝑣𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑎𝑣𝑒 ± 0.2 [cm3]
1 33.4
2 33.5
3 33.6
33.5
4 33.4
5 33.7
6 33.4
Using the equation [1] and the previously displayed data, iodine values for two of the oils and all five
temperatures have been calculated as shown in the following sample calculation for both oils at
temperature 65℃:

*The burette was filled twice therefore error is multiplied by four.

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Sample calculation of iodine value for coconut oil at 65℃:

(𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑘−𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒)×12.7×100 (33.5 𝑐𝑚3 −30.9 𝑐𝑚3 )×12.7×100
𝐼. 𝑉 = = = 11.0
1000×0.30𝑔 1000×0.30 𝑔

Sample calculation of iodine value for sunflower oil at 65℃:

(𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑘 − 𝑚𝑙 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒) × 12.7 × 100 (33.5 𝑐𝑚3 − 14.2 𝑐𝑚3 ) × 12.7 × 100
𝐼. 𝑉 = =
1000 × 0.30𝑔 1000 × 0.30 𝑔
= 81.7
The rest of the results are shown in the table below:

Table 6: Iodine values for coconut and sunflower oil for a corresponding Table 6a: Deviations between the results.
temperature.
Iodine value Coconut Percent Sunflower Percent
oil deviation oil deviation
Temperature
Coconut oil Sunflower oil [%] [%]
± 0.05 [°C]
11.0-10.6 3.7 81.7-81.3 0.5

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65.00 11.0 81.7 10.6-9.7 9.3 81.3-80.4 1.1
9.7-9.3 4.3 80.4-80.0 0.5

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75.00 10.6 81.3
85.00 9.7 80.4 9.3-8.5 9.4 80.0-78.7 1.7

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95.00 9.3 80.0 gm
105.00 8.5 78.7
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The results are displayed with one decimal place so that the change in iodine number can be seen
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accurately. To clearly see how the results of iodine value change, Table 6a shows the consecutive
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decrease between the iodine values as percent deviation and a trend can be seen. There is decrease of
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3.7% between 11.0 and 10.6 and a similar 4.3% decrease between 9.7 and 9.3, and almost double that
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decrease in 10.6 and 9.7 as well as 9.3 and 8.5. The same situation can be seen for sunflower oil. The
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decrease should be, however, similar for every iodine number as the temperature of the oils decreases
gradually by 10 degrees. The fact that the percentage deviations are such ‘alternating’ may be caused
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by systematic errors that occurred frequently during the experiment. From the equation [1] we can see
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that titrations of samples and blank, as well the weight of the samples can be the sources of error when
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calculating iodine value. Therefore, uncertainty for the iodine value was calculated and the systematic
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errors are discussed below.

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 The volumes of Na2S2O3 (aq) for blank and samples

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25 cm3 burette (±0.05 cm3) was filled twice while titrating blank and coconut oil samples, therefore its
error is multiplied by four. For coconut oil, systematic error was calculated for every temperature.
0.05
For blank: 4 × 33.5 × 100% ≈ 0.60%
0.05
For coconut oil: 65℃ → 4 × × 100 ≈ 0.65%
30.9

75℃ → 0.65%; 85℃ → 0.64%; 95℃ → 0.64%; 105℃ → 0.63%

The burette was filled only once when titrating sunflower oil so its error equals:
0.05
65℃ → 2 × × 100% ≈ 0.70%
14.2
Remaining temperatures: 75℃ → 0.70%; 85℃ → 0.69%; 95℃ → 0.68%; 105% → 0.66%

 The weight of the oil sample

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Oil samples have been weighted on an electronic scale accurate to 4 decimal places (±0.0002g) using
an Erlenmeyer flask. The flask was firstly put on the scale and tared, then the oil was poured into the
flask and its weight was measured. This way of working minimized the error of the oil transportation to
another vessel, as droplets of solution would adhere on the vessel.
0.0002
× 100% ≈ 0.07%
0.3
So the uncertainty for iodine value has been calculated as in the following sample calculations:

For 65℃ coconut oil: ∆I = 0.65% + 0.60% + 0.07% = 1.32%

For 65℃ sunflower oil: ∆𝐼 = 0.70% + 0.60% + 0.07% = 1.37%

Random error for iodine value has been calculated using the following formula (results not rounded):
maxiodine value −miniodine value
For given oil and temperature → 2
11 ––– 100%
1.485 ––– x → x ≈ 13.50%

om
12.28−9.31
Sample: Coconut oil 65℃ → 2
= 1.485

l.c
ai
The rest of the results (rounded):
gm
Table 7: Final results showing the iodine value and its uncertainty for coconut and sunflower oil samples for a corresponding temperature.
3@

Iodine value
systematic random systematic random
l1

Temperature Coconut Sunflower

error error error error
ra

±0.05 [℃] oil oil

[unit/%] [unit/%] [unit/%] [unit/%]
an

65.00 11.0 0.1/1.3 1.5/14 81.7 1.1/1.4 0.2/0.3

m

75.00 10.6 0.1/1.3 3.0/24 81.3 1.1/1.4 0.4/0.5

vs

85.00 9.7 0.1/1.3 3.0/33 80.4 1.1/1.4 0.6/0.8

ru

95.00 9.3 0.1/1.3 0.5/5.0 80.0 1.1/1.4 0.4/0.5

105.00 8.5 0.1/1.3 0.5/5.6 78.7 1.0/1.3 0.6/0.8
dh

All of the errors are displayed with max. two significant figures where one is not possible. The
y

systematic error of sunflower oil is significantly larger, which is caused by the relatively huge error of
tif

the burette (±0.05) in comparison to the amount that was measured by it (ex. 14.1 cm3), and the
as

significantly larger iodine value of sunflower oil. However, any more precise laboratory equipment
Cl

could not be found for the error to be reduced. The anomalous random errors of iodine values of
coconut oil for 11.0, 10.6 and 9.7 may be caused by the fact that these were the first three
investigated samples at given temperatures and the methodology was not yet perfectly figured out.

Table 7a: Average random and systematic errors for CO and SFO.
Coconut oil Sunflower oil
Avg. systematic error Avg. systematic error
Avg. random error [%] Avg. random error [%]
[%] [%]

1.3 16 1.4 0.6

Total avg. systematic error = 1.3% + 1.4% = 2.7% ≈ 3%

Total average random error could not be calculated properly as the errors for coconut oil and sunflower
oil are of different order of magnitude (see Table 7a). Sunflower oil experiment has a higher systematic
than random error, suggesting this part of investigation was more precise than accurate. Coconut oil has

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a higher random than systematic error (possible cause of high random error was explained in bold
above), suggesting this part of investigation was more accurate than precise.
4.2 Qualitative observations
As it was frequently mentioned in the sections 3.2 Method of measuring iodine value and 3.5
Procedures, the colour of the solution changes at different stages of reactions. After adding iodine
monochloride to the oil sample, the colour of the solution becomes dark orange/brown. Next, liberated,
not bonded iodine causes the solution to become straw coloured/pale yellow and in order to precisely
indicate the end point of the titration, starch indicator is added which turns the solution dark blue. When
all iodine is bonded by the titre (Na2S2O3 (aq)) titration end point occurs and the solution turns colourless.
Each stage is shown in Figure 4.16 Thanks to the colour change of each step of the procedure, I exactly
knew whether the reactions I carried were successful and I could proceed to the next step. There were
no implications with the changes of colour of the solutions, so I would not manipulate or switch
anything, such as different indicator than starch, in my experiment.

om
l.c
ai
gm
Figure 4: Colors of solution in order of occurring during the experiment.
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5 Data analysis
l1

The following diagram has been plotted from the final results from Table 7.
ra

Figure 5: Graphical representation data for I.V (iodine value) Figure 6: Graphical representation data for I.V of sunflower oil and
an

of coconut oil and its temperature. its temperature.

m

Iodine value of sunflower oil vs temperature

vs

Iodine value of coconut oil vs temperature

ru

15.0 138.0
I.V = -0.085T + 16.785
dh

13.0 R² = 0.9695 136.0 I.V = -0.166T + 146.85

Iodine value
Iodine value

R² = 0.9937
y

11.0 134.0
tif

9.0 132.0
as

7.0 130.0
Cl

5.0 128.0
60 70 80 90 100 110 60 70 80 90 100 110
Temperature [°C] Temperature [°C]

Uncertainty for the temperature is not of significant importance, however it is set as ±0.05℃ and is so
small it is not visible. Uncertainty for iodine value of coconut and sunflower oil for corresponding
temperatures is the random error that was displayed in Table 7. The line of the best fit could be drawn
within the Y error bars of both graphs, suggesting a linear dependence with regression 𝑅 2 = 0.97 and
0.99. The correlation between the iodine number and the temperature is negative, which proves the
hypothesis stating that the iodine value decreases when the temperature increases. The iodine value of
8.5−11.0
coconut oil has decreased by 29% ( 8.5 × 100%) and of sunflower oil by 4%, which gives a decrease
of about 3.2 units for both oils. There are no anomalies in both diagrams, thus the results seem accurate.

16
Retrieved July 31, 2019, from http://www.drcarman.info/kem220lb/14lab220.pdf

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6 Evaluation

6.1 Conclusion

Data analysis clearly shows a strong negative relationship between the iodine value of the oils and the
temperature, which is indicated by the negative gradients -0.085 and -0.166. This proves my hypothesis
and relates to the information included in section 1.2 Background information. The data also directly
addresses the research question: how does the content of unsaturated fatty acids change when
coconut and sunflower oil are warmed up at increasing temperatures, as in the investigation, the
content of unsaturated fatty acids decreased of about 3.2 units of I.V for a 30℃ decrease in temperature.
This results are partly compatible with literature values from Pakistan Journal of Nutrition17, as the
iodine value for sunflower from the source for a 30℃ decrease in temperature (70.00-66.59) decreases
of 5.1% compared with 4% from my investigation (81.7-78.7). This might be caused by a number of
factors, such as different chemical composition of oil, more precise laboratory equipment or different
sample weight. The exact literature values concerning temperature impact on I.V could not be found for
coconut oil, however, the results of the experiment show the same decreasing trend for of about 3.2 units
for both oils. Moreover, iodine values for both samples almost entirely fit within the ranges of expected

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I.V, which are: 78-9018 for crude, high-oleic SFO and 6-919 for crude CO (see Table 7 for comparison).
Coconut oil exceeds the literature range which may be caused by an improper sample weight, which

l.c
should be of approx. 3g.20

ai
gm
For coconut oil, random error (16%) was higher than systematic error (1.3%), indicating a more accurate
than precise experiment. Systematic error is small, as the amount of titre measured be the burette was
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large in comparison to its error (±0.05) and the iodine value relatively small (11.0-8.5). For sunflower
oil, random error (0.6%) is lower than systematic error (1.4%, explanation under Table 7) pointing out
l1

a more precise than accurate measurement. Referring to the 1.3 Aim of the investigation, saturation of
ra

the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids occurred in both of the oils. As coconut oil mostly contains
an

saturated fat, under the influence of temperature becomes even slightly more saturated. Sunflower oil
m

also experiences a slight saturation of the double bonds, however, it still remains rich in unsaturated fat.
vs

This can lead one to a conclusion, that temperature of heating up SFO or CO does not significantly
influence their chemical composition, unless they are heated past their smoke points. The fact remains,
ru

that healthy, saturated fat (coconut oil) as well as mono and polyunsaturated fat (sunflower oil) should
dh

be frequently supplied to our organisms in appropriate quantities and quality.

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tif

6.2 Sources of systematic error and improvements

as

Source: Sampling of the oils was equal and amounted to 0.3g, however, it should have not. The samples
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of oils should be weighted such that there is from 50 to 60 percent excess of Wij’s solution over the
amount needed. Therefore, the weight of coconut oil should be of approx. 3 grams, as this oil is already
highly saturated. This change would probably have a significant impact on the iodine number of coconut
oil and could cause the range of the results for that oil to be more consistent with the literature values
provided in the previous section.

17
O. Obimakinde, Samuel & O Dawodu, Modupe & Olutona, Godwin & O Obimakinde, Samuel. (2015). Effect
of Temperature on the Chemical Characteristics of Vegetable Oils Consumed in Ibadan, Nigeria. Pakistan
Journal of Nutrition. 14. 698-707. 10.3923/pjn.2015.698.707.
18
Elvers. B, Hawkins. S, Russey. W. (1995) Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Index to Volumes
A1 to A25, B1 to B6. Vol A10. VCH Verlagsgesellschaft Weinheim.
19
In Karleskind, A., & Association française pour l'étude des corps gras. (1992). Manuel des corps gras. Paris:
Technique et Documentation - Lavoisier.
20
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. (2012) Manual of methods of analysis of food. Oils and fats.
Page 34. Ministry of health and family welfare. Retrieved July 31, 2019, from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Prem_Baboo/post/How_can_we_measure_the_specific_iodine_value_of_dr
ying_or_semi-
drying_oil/attachment/59d62ef979197b807798d242/AS%3A356255060250624%401461949233153/download/
OILS+AND+FATS.pdf

11
Downloaded from www.clastify.com by Dhruv Manral

Improvement: Weight the proper quantity of coconut oil, which is 3g, so that the oil can absorb a proper
amount of iodine.

Source: The exact amount of iodine monochloride solution – the solution might have sometimes adhered
on the sides of the pipette in the amount of approx. one drop, which would give a systematic error of
0.03
× 100% = 0.3%.
10

Improvement: It is hard to prevent the chemicals from adhering on the vessel, especially near the tip of
burette. The only way is to make sure that as much of the solution as possible was transferred.

6.3 Sources of random error and improvements

As random errors contributed the most to the results in the investigation, it is important to mention the
possible problems with dependent variable control.

Source: The difference in a drop of sodium thiosulphate when observing titration end point – the dark
blue colour after adding starch indictor disappears immediately when all free iodine is bonded by

om
Na2S2O3 (aq), therefore there might have been a mistake in determining the titration end point of about a
drop to even a few drops where random error for I.V is bigger (65,75,85 ℃ for coconut oil).

l.c
ai
Improvement: When titration end point is close, the titre should be added slowly, drop by drop, to avoid
gm
unreliable measurements. Every excessive drop spilled can change the results of iodine value. The
random error of drop difference can be minimized with more titration trials taken, for example ten.
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6.4 Strengths
l1
ra

The experiment was conducted using the equipment with lowest possible error, therefore total
an

percentage systematic error is quite small. Random error is also not large, as six measurements per trial
m

were carried out for every temperature, which means the variables were effectively controlled. The
vs

results are very close to the literature values, therefore the experiment can be considered fairly accurate.
Points on the graphs are lying close to the line of the best fit, demonstrating the precision of the
ru

experiment. The R2 value indicates a strong relationship between the temperature and iodine value, thus
dh

my processed data is consistent with the scientific information provided.

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tif

6.5 Extensions
as

An interesting extension to my experiment would be to measure the iodine value of oils that were used
Cl

for deep frying for different periods of time. This would also mean that the oils would be heated up past
their smoke points, and some of their chemical properties would change. The iodine value of the oils
would be then an interesting variable to measure, and the extent of decrease of iodine number of oils
heated below and above their smoke points could be compared, giving an interesting information about
the impact of very high temperatures on fatty acids composition of chosen oils.

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Downloaded from www.clastify.com by Dhruv Manral

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om
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3@

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l1
ra

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m

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vs

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ru

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dh

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y

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tif

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as
Cl

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