Jaoac 1392
Jaoac 1392
Jaoac 1392
5, 2012
Agricultural Materials
AOAC Official MethodSM 942.05, Ash in Animal Feed, It is a “defining” or “empirical” method, meaning the analytical
has been applied in feed laboratories since its results obtained are defined by the conditions specified for the
publication in the Official Methods of Analysis in method. Any change to the conditions of the method (ignition
1942. It is a routine test with renewed interest due time, ignition temperature, and any other furnace or weighing
to the incorporation of “ash values” into modern conditions) will bias results.
equations for the estimation of energy content of Historically, ash results have posed problems for feed
dairy feed, beef feed, and pet food. As with other laboratories and their clients, in part due to the empirical nature
empirical methods, results obtained are a function of the method. Variability in ash results are well documented
of the test conditions. For this method, the critical in Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
conditions are the ignition time, ignition temperature, Check Sample Program method performance reports (3).
and any other furnace or weighing conditions. Renewed interest in tightening the variability of results for
Complete ignition can be observed by the absence of AOAC Official Method 942.05 (4) are due to the incorporation
black color (due to residual carbonaceous material) of “ash values” into modern equations for the estimation of
in the ash residue. To investigate performance energy content of dairy feed (5), beef feed (6), and pet food (7).
of AOAC 942.05, 15 samples were chosen to be In these computations to estimate the energy component of
representative of a wide range of feed materials. feed, a higher ash value computes to a lower energy value.
These materials were tested at the conditions of Since energy is an expensive component of feeds, variability in
AOAC 942.05 (ignition at 600°C for 2 h) and similar or ash results can affect economic value for a given feed product or
more rigorous conditions. The additional conditions ingredient; an incomplete ash will negatively impact economics.
investigated included: 600°C for 4 h; 600°C for 2 h, A perfect residue after ignition of a feed material would be
cool, and ignite 2 additional h; 600°C for 2 h, cool, white, with no hint of residual carbon. A visual examination of
wet, dry, and ignite 2 additional h; 550°C for 6 h; the residue by the analyst can quickly establish if carbonaceous
550°C for 3 h, cool, and ignite 3 additional h; and material has been oxidized and the ignition is complete. Some
550°C for 3 h, cool, wet, dry, ignite 3 additional h. methods call for examination of the residue, while others do not.
Results for all other conditions investigated were The current AOAC Official Method 942.05 does not.
found to be significantly different from the current Today, there are at least four “official” methods for
AOAC Method 942.05. All ignition conditions were determination of ash in animal feed: AOAC Official Method
significantly different from each other except two: 942.05 (1); ISO 5948-2002 (8), Corn Refiners Association
550°C for 3 h, cool, ignite 3 additional h; and 550°C (CRA)-G4 (9); and American Association of Cereal Chemists
for 3 h, cool, wet, dry, and ignite 3 additional h. (AACC) 08-03 (10). Table 1 compares the requirements for
Recommendations for modification to AOAC Official each of the methods.
Method 942.05 are suggested based on statistical
analysis of the data and a review of the literature. Historical Information for AOAC Official Method 942.05
Associate Referee J.L. St. John reported in 1942 (11) that three
A
sh, or crude ash, or more appropriately, “residue on different materials were submitted to each of four laboratories
ignition,” is the inorganic residue remaining after the resulting in 12 total materials. Collaborators determined loss
water and organic matter have been removed by heating on ignition (ash) at the temperature of the then official method
in a muffle furnace. It provides a measure of the inorganic matter (650°C) and also at 500, 550, 600, and 700°C. They were asked
or total mineral content of a feed material. In addition, it can to report results to two decimal places and make observations
provide a quick estimate of contamination or adulteration. For on the appearance of the ash. The materials tested were mash,
example, soil contamination will be reflected in the ash residue barley, alfalfa, oats, mash + 2% shell flour, soybean, wheat,
due to the high silica content of soil (1). Ash is a Type 1 method, tankage, peas, bran and shorts, corn, cottonseed, poultry feed,
as defined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Committee herring, and linseed. St. John reported the averages, average
of Methods of Analysis and Sampling Committee scheme (2). differences between duplicates, maximum range, and percent
weight loss due to increase of temperature. Based on these
Received March 25, 2012. Accepted by SG April 15, 2012. calculations, St. John concluded that (1) collaborating analysts
Corresponding author’s e-mail: nancy.thiex@sdstate.edu were able to obtain approximate agreement between their own
DOI: 10.5740/jaoacint.12-129 duplicates; (2) agreement among analysts’ duplicates was good
Thiex et al.: Journal of AOAC International Vol. 95, No. 5, 2012 1393
a
If original ash color is black or dark gray, indicating presence of carbon, a repeated ash cycle is specified.
ignition. The thoroughness of the ignition was determined by (h) Carefully add a few mL of distilled H2O to the residue
the color of the ash residue and a corresponding reduction in to break it up. Dry crucible and contents in a 105°C oven
residue weight. The base conditions investigated were ignition (mechanical convection speeds up the process) for a few hours
at 600°C for 2 h and ignition at 550°C for 3 h. The additional until all water is evaporated. The concept is that a crust forms on
conditions investigated included 600°C for 4 h; 600°C for 2 h,
the surface of some materials as they ash. Water is used to break
cool, ignite 2 additional h; 600°C for 2 h, cool, wet, dry, and
ignite 2 additional h; 550°C for 6 h; 550°C for 3 h, cool, and up this crust and allow for a more complete ignition.
ignite 3 additional h; and 550°C for 3 h, cool, wet, dry, and (i) Reignite crucible and contents in furnace for the specified
ignite 3 additional h. The eight sets of ignition conditions are temperature and time. Repeat steps (e) and (f) before proceeding
referred to later in this manuscript as eight “ignition conditions.” to (k).
(j) Place crucibles in desiccator with stopper top. Cool
Test Procedure and weigh, recording weight to the nearest 0.1 mg (R). When
opening the desiccator, very slowly loosen the stopper to allow
(a) Remove crucibles, which have been dried for at least 2 h air to enter slowly, preventing the ash residue from being blown
at 100°C, from oven to desiccator. Cool and weigh, recording
out of the crucibles.
the tare weight to the nearest 0.1 mg (T). Note: New crucibles
(k) Photograph crucibles containing residue for a visual
need to be ignited at the specified temperature/time of the
method prior to first use. record of residual carbon.
(b) Program muffle furnace to reach desired temperature (l) Calculation:
(see Methods above) in 60 min.
(c) Weigh 1.5–2.0 g test portion into the crucible, recording Residue on ignition (crude ash), % = (R – T) × 100/(W – T).
the weight of crucible and test portion to the nearest 0.1 mg (W).
(d) Ignite in furnace at time and temperature (see Methods where T = tare (empty) weight of crucible, R = weight of
above) after the furnace reaches temperature. crucible + residue, and W = weight of crucible + test portion
(e) Allow furnace to cool below 200°C, then transfer
crucibles to a desiccator with stoppered lid. Statistical Analysis
(f) Cool to room temperature and weigh within 1 h,
recording weight to the nearest 0.1 mg (R). When opening the Statistical analysis was performed using two-way analysis
desiccator, very slowly loosen the stopper to allow air to enter of variance (ANOVA) for the eight sets of ignition conditions
slowly, preventing the ash residue from being blown out of the
and 15 materials (16). The full factorial experimental design
crucibles.
was 8 × 15 treatments with replication in each cell. Significance
(g) Proceed as follows, depending upon experimental
conditions: was determined with α = 0.05. Having determined a significant
(1) Skip to (k) if no additional ignition. difference in the methods, a post hoc Tukey HSD test (16) was
(2) Skip to (i) if reigniting. used to distinguish which ignition conditions were significantly
(3) Proceed to (h and i) if wetting prior to reigniting. different from others.
Thiex et al.: Journal of AOAC International Vol. 95, No. 5, 2012 1395
19 91
17 89
15 87
7 79
5 77
3 75
1 73
FM
DA
MVP
Bc
PFM
csgM
sFM
cs
gH
AH
HF
AcF
lcF
cgM
Materials
Results This is clearly the case for MVP and SFM. CGM does not
have a temperature effect, but does have a clear slope related
Means for 15 materials, expressed as percent crude ash for the to ignition time, flatting at either temperature. This observation
eight experiments, are provided in Table 2. Results were found is confirmed by the black color of the ash residue after the
to be significantly different from the current AOAC Method initial ignition, indicating the presence of significant amounts
942.05 for all additional ignition conditions investigated. All of carbon. Additional ignition greatly lightened the color of the
ignition conditions were also significantly different from each ash residue, corroborating the additional release of carbon. For
other except two: 550°C for 3 h, cool, and ash 3 additional h; FM, B, and CS, there is little impact on results for changes to
and 550°C for 3 h, cool, wet, dry, and ignite 3 additional h. temperature or time.
Figure 1 illustrates the mean percentage of ash estimated Examination of the data indicates that there is no single time
from replicate analysis of each material for each set of ignition and temperature combination suitable for all materials. The ISO
conditions. The eight conditions in each material group are 5948-2002 and AOAC 942.05 methods produce statistically
labeled in Figure 1. The height of the markers exceeds the 95% different results for most feed materials. Examination also raises
confidence interval derived from the ANOVA error term (±0.1). concerns about the 600°C temperature for some materials, such
The presence of carbon was noted in the residues for CGM, as MVP and SFM, that indicate continual loss of weight with
SFM, GH, and B after the initial ignition cycle. The “whiteness” time, suggesting loss of more volatile elements. For these
of the ash improved with additional ignition, as reflected by materials, 550°C appears to be a preferred ignition temperature
lower residue weights. CGM was nearly carbon-free after the for a “constant weight” ignition residue. While a second ash
second heating cycle; however, the ash was still not entirely cycle greatly improved results, there was no apparent advantage
white. to wetting the ash residue between ignitions.
Concerns about ignition temperature lead to a review of
Discussion crude ash methods for all food/feed materials. Most of the
methods were adopted in the early 20th century. Thirty-seven
The results of this study emphasize the empirical nature of of 44 AOAC Official Methods of Analysis methods for crude
the method, and that statistically significant bias will result ash in botanical matrixes (food or products that could be
from any change in ignition temperature or time for most feed considered animal feed ingredients) specify temperatures below
materials. There is no “perfect” time/temperature combination 600°C (17). Similarly, eight of 12 AACC methods for similar
for all feed materials. Some, such as CGM, are resistant to products specify ignition temperature below 600°C (18). Dry
complete ignition, while other high mineral content feed ashing is a common mechanism for removal of organic material
premixes or ingredients may be susceptible to loss of volatile from food and feed materials prior to elemental analysis. Since
elements. full recovery of the elements is critical and loss of inorganics
Figure 1 is an especially revealing visual record of ignition would have been observed, dry ash procedures used in AOAC
temperature and time effects. “Gaps” between the 600 and Official Methods of Analysis methods to remove organic matter
550°C results for a single material are conspicuous, as are from botanical matrixes prior to elemental analysis were
“slopes” with increasing ignition times within a temperature. reviewed. Of the 27 methods, 21 call for ash temperatures of
For example, CSGM, HF, and BC have clearly separated gaps 550°C or below (17), and 10 specify the use of “ashing aids,”
between temperature markers. Sloping lines that continue and such as Mg(NO3)2 and H2SO4, to speed the ashing process and
do not flatten raise a concern for loss of volatile elements. convert elements into less volatile forms. St. John in 1941,
1396 Thiex et al.: Journal of AOAC International Vol. 95, No. 5, 2012
remarked that the effect of ashing temperature on the loss of in 1 h). Allow furnace to cool to below 200°C. Open furnace
elements, particularly potassium, indicates a need for a further door to ensure fresh air supply and repeat the 3 h muffle furnace
study of methods for the determination of potassium in plant heating cycle to carbon-free residue. Final residue should be
material…” (19). The loss of sodium, potassium, and manganese carbon-free (nearly white), not black or gray. Transfer crucible
at ignition temperatures over 500–550°C has been reported in directly to desiccator, cool, and weigh within 1 h, reporting
the years since 1942, when AOAC Official Method 942.05 was results to the appropriate number of significant digits (generally
adopted (20–22). two decimal places). (Note 1: Open desiccator cautiously to
Since the decision on an ignition temperature between 550 and allow air to enter slowly, preventing the ash residue from being
600°C for AOAC Official Method 942.05 was long debated and blown out of the crucibles. Note 2: Care should be taken to not
a somewhat subjective decision by St. John (11, 12), the authors
(17) Official Methods of Analysis (2005) 18th Ed., AOAC Y.P. (Ed.), Soil and Plant Analysis Council, Inc., CRC Press, Boca
INTERNATIONAL, Gaithersburg, MD. Raton, FL, p. 53
(18) Approved Methods of the American Association of Cereal (21) Isaac, R.A., & Jones, J.B., Jr (1972) Commun. Soil Sci. Plant
Chemists (1983) 8th Ed., American Association of Cereal Anal. 3, 261–269. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00103627209366375
Chemists, St. Paul, MN (22) Rowan, C.A., Zajicek, O.T., & Calabrese, E.J. (1982) Anal.
(19) St. John, J.L. (1941) J. Assoc. Off. Agric. Chem. 24, 848–854 Chem. 54, 149–151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac00238a047
(20) Handbook of Reference Methods for Plant Analysis (1998) Kalra,