๐.๐.๐.๐ฆ. โ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, Ep. 1
๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐.๐.๐.๐ฆ. โ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐!
L.A.B.S. is our LinkedIn series where we break down laboratory processes in a clear way. Today, weโre cracking the case of nitrogen - the hidden element behind protein content in food, feed, and fertilizer.
The Case: Protein is rich in nitrogen, so measuring nitrogen reveals protein content. ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ? ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ท๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ต๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ the gold standard for nitrogen analysis.
๐๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ญ: ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. We heat the sample with sulfuric acid and a catalyst (like copper or selenium) to convert nitrogen into ammonium (NHโโบ).
๐๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฎ: ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. Lye (NaOH) turns ammonium into ammonia (NHโ), which is distilled and trapped in boric acid, isolating the nitrogen clue.
๐๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฏ: ๐ง๐ถ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. We titrate the ammonia with a standard acid. The amount used tells us the nitrogen level, key to calculating protein content.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐? Titration completes the puzzle by precisely measuring ammonia, which tells us how much nitrogen, and therefore protein, is in the sample.
Weโve cracked the case using the Kjeldahl Methodโdigestion, distillation, and titration, leading to one truth: accurate protein analysis.
Stay tuned for more lab mysteriesโsolved. ๐งช