Rapid method for determining moisture content in crude balm oil by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy

A simple, rapid, and direct Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic method was developed for the determination of moisture content of crude pa lm oil (CPO). The calibration set was prepared by adding double-distilled w ater to dried CPO in ratios (w/w) between 0 and 13% moisture. A partial lea st squares (PLS) regression technique was employed to construct a calibrati on model followed by cross-validation step. The accuracy of this method was comparable to the accuracy of the American Oil Chemists' Society's Vacuum oven method, which is used for determination of moisture and volatile matte r, with mean difference (MDa) of 0.0105, a coefficient of determination (R- 2) and, Standard error of calibration (SEC) of 0.9781 and 0.91, respectivel y. It is also comparable to the accuracy of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry's distillation method with MD,, R2, and SEC of 0.069 5, 0.9701, and 0.65, respectively. The study showed that midband FTIR spect roscopy combined with the PLS regression calibration technique is rapid and accurate for determination of moisture content of CPO samples with a total analysis time of less than 2 min and less than 2 mt of sample.