Date : 26/10/2010

Experiment no : 05

Experiment : Determination of ash.

Introduction
5.1 Determination of ash

Materials:
 Incinerator

 Muffle furnace

 Platinum or silica dishes

 Weighing balance

 Desiccators

 Tongs

Procedure:
 Three porcelain dishes were taken which were previously cleaned, dried and
kept in muffle furnace for few hours and weighed them after they reached the
room temperature.(kept in a desiccator until it reaches the room temperature)

 Then about 5 g of the sample was measured separately to those dishes.

 After that those dishes were incinerated slowly over a Bunsen flame until no
more fumes were evolved.

 The dishes then were transferred to the muffle furnace set at 550oc and
ignited until it was free of black carbon particles and it was white or grey in
color.

 The dishes were removed carefully and those were let to cool in a desiccator.

 The weights were measured carefully and those were let to cool in a
dessicator.

 The weights were measured after cooling. The process of ashing, cooling and
weighing were repeated till no further loss in weight was indicated.

 At last the dishes with ash were cooled and weighed.

Observations:

Weight of empty Weight of empty Weight of empty

dish /g dish with dish with ashed
sample /g sample /g
(mo)
(m1) (m2)

Calculation:

% ash of the sample m/m = Weight of ash x

100%

Weight of the sample

= m 2 – m0 x 100%

m 1 – m0

Weight of ash /g Weight of Ash % m/m

sample /g
(m2 – m0)
 (m1 – m0)

% ash of the sample m/m =

5.2 Determination of acid insoluble ash

Materials:
 10% HCl acid

 Litmus paper

 Filter funnels

 Ashless filter papers

 Beakers

 Hot water

Procedure

 The ash sample was dissolved in 25 ml of 10% HCl acid and then the solution
was filtered through an ashless filter paper

 The filtrate was washed with hot water until the filtrate became free from acid
(acidity was checked using a blue filter paper).

 The filter paper was then transferred into the appropriate porcelain dish and
incinerate.

 The dish was transferred into the muffle furnace at 550oc and kept until a
white or gray color residue was obtained.

 The dish was cooled in a dessicator and weighed.

 The process was repeated until the difference between two successive
weightings were less than one milligram or a constant weight.

 Then the acid insoluble ash was calculated on wet basis and dry basis.
Observations:

Calculation:
Discussion
Conclusion:

References
• http://www.fao.org

• http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu

• Principles and preparation of food; 2nd Edition; - by Amy Brown.