Simultaneous Express-determination of Oil and Water in Seeds

General Notes

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as the method of express-determination of water and oil content in sunflower, soybean, cotton seeds, groundnut and rape seeds has several advantages in comparison with other techniques. NMR allows to minimize the total duration and cost of the analysis keeping exactness and reproducibility of the results without frequent recalibration. NMR also provides ecological purity of the analysis. NMR as method of seeds analysis is included in the following standards:
  • GOST R 8.620-2006 (in Russia)
  • ISO/CD 10565 (in Europe) - for oil in seeds and water in seeds
  • ISO 10632 - for oil and water in seed residues

Measurement Flow

For this method it is needed the Spin Track NMR analyzer together with the Seeds application and the balances. According to ISO/CD 10565 requirements the calibration samples are prepared using standard reference method (e.g., Soxhlet extraction). Calibration procedure is very easy and requires only few minutes. Sample preparation is only the placement of the sample into test tube and weighting; if sample contains a lot of water the drying is recommended. The measurement itself starts automatically with the sample placed into the sensor probe head of Spin Track analyzer.

Instrumentation

TD-NMR spectrometer Spin Track from Resonance Systems fulfils requirements of ISO/CD 10565 and provides high precision and reproducibility of measurements. In case of large and inhomogeneous seeds recommended configuration is 40 mm test tube; however for small or single seed analysis there can be 18 mm or 10 mm configuration.