Automated Karl Fischer titration for liquid samples – Water determination in edible oils

In the field of food analysis, rapid measurements and results are generally of high importance. The Karl Fischer titration (KFT), a chemical method for determining water content, and its automated performance enhance rapidity by giving the opportunity to deal with more samples in less time; automated sequences can include different determination methods and sample treatments. Moreover, automation can improve reproducibility and precision.In this work water determination methods were established with an automated KFT system using both the volumetric and coulometric KF technique. Aspiration and transfer of the sample are freely defined in the methods, which consist of different combinations of so-called transfer volumes, air bubbles, special liquids and sample volumes. Commercially, available liquid water standards were used as samples for designing basic methods. Furthermore, applications for different edible oils were developed.