ASTM D2584, D5630, ISO 3451 Ash Content

Scope:

Ash Content test determines if a material is filled with other substances. Another objective of the test is to determine the total filler content. Nevertheless, without performing additional test procedures, it cannot identify different percentages in multi-filled materials. Ash Content ASTM D2584, D5630 is unable to identify the percent carbon fiber or percent carbon black because carbon burns off during the test.

Ash Content Test Procedure:

The ASTM D2584, ASTM D5630 test starts with taking a known amount of sample, placing the weighted sample into a pre-weighed, dry ceramic crucible made up of porcelain. This is followed by heating the crucible more than 500 °C that burns the polymer in an air atmosphere and subsequent cooling of the crucible in a desiccator to attain room temperature. The Ash residue in the crucible is considered as a filler unless the residue is less than 1%. A residue of less than 1% is mainly attributable to the additives that did not burn off.

Ash content is a measurement of the fuel’s inorganic impurities, which might include sand, nickel, aluminum, silicon, sodium, and vanadium and can lead to a variety of issues. Total ash tests are useful to measure the wasted carbon quality utilized in applications such as drinking water remediation or groundwater remediation. A high ash concentration could mean that sand is present or that calcium, aluminum, manganese, or iron have been deposited on the activated carbon.

A variety of factors make it crucial to determine the ash and mineral content of foods:D

• Dietary labeling: A  food’s label must state the amount and type of minerals it contains.
• Quality:  Numerous aspects of a food’s quality, such as its flavor, appearance, texture, and stability, are influenced by the quantity and type of minerals it contains.
• Stability for microbes:  Certain bacteria can occasionally have their growth slowed down by high mineral levels.
• Nutrition:  Some minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium, are necessary for a healthy diet, while others can be poisonous (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium and aluminum).
• Processing: Knowing a food’s mineral content is frequently crucial because processing alters a food’s physicochemical characteristics.

Video 01: Determination of ash content

Specimen size:

Six grams of a sample is divided equally among three crucibles. Two grams of the sample are placed in each crucible. An average of three crucibles is examned for the final calculation. It is possible to use smaller sample sizes; however, using smaller sample sizes may give inaccurate results.

Data:

The result of the Ash test is given in terms of % ash. To identify whether the ash is glass, mineral, or a combination of both, an intensified optical examination of the ash remainder is performed. The total ash content is equal to the weight of the ash divided by the weight of the main sample and multiplied by 100%.