This document specifies a procedure for the direct determination of the content of the soap building elements Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na) and Potassium (K) as well as Phosphorus (P) in fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by ICP OES.
The concentrations of each component or the combinations of some to which this method is applicable are given in Table 1.
Table 1 - Scope ranges for each element
Element Scope range
mg/kg
Ca 0,3 - 5,4
Mg 0,3 - 4,6
Na 0,4 - 5,0
K 0,6 - 5,3
P 1,0 - 5,0
Ca + Mg 0,5 - 9,4
Na + K 1,0 - 9,9
Ca + Mg + Na + K 1,4 - 19,3

WARNING - The use of this document can involve hazardous materials, operations and equipment. This document does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
NOTE For the purposes of this document, the term "% (V/V)" is used to represent the volume fraction, φ, of a material.