Common Color Parameters for Oil Color Measurement
1. Lovibond Color (Most Common for Edible Oils / International Trade)
Core parameters: Yellow (Y), Red (R), occasionally Blue (B)
• Yellow (Y): Main yellow depth of oil
• Red (R): Red/brown depth, reflecting oxidation, impurities and refining degree
Standards: GB/T 22460, ISO 15305, AOCS Cc13
2. CIE Lab* (Precision Spectrophotometer / Color Difference Meter)
• L*: Lightness (0 = black, 100 = white; higher value = clearer oil)
• a*: Red‑green axis (+ = red, − = green)
• b*: Yellow‑blue axis (+ = yellow, − = blue; key tone parameter for oils)
• ΔE: Total color difference (for batch consistency control)
3. Gardner Color (for dark industrial oils)
Grades: 1 (pale yellow) to 18 (dark reddish‑brown)
Application: fatty acids, palm oil, industrial oils, resins
Standards: ASTM D1544, GB/T 22295
4. Pt‑Co / Hazen / APHA Color (for ultra‑light refined oils)
Unit: Pt‑Co number (0–500)
Application: cosmetic‑grade oils, white oil, light refined oils
5. Spectral & Special Indices
• Absorbance at specified wavelengths (446 nm, 455 nm, 550 nm)
• Yellowness Index (YI)
• Light transmittance at 550 nm
Quick Selection Guide
• Edible oil & export: Lovibond Y & R
• Precision QC & color difference control: Lab* + ΔE
• Dark industrial oil: Gardner color
• Ultra‑light refined oil: Pt‑Co / Hazen
Now our new model TS4010/TS4020 spectrophotometer has the functions of RYBN, CIE lab, Gardner, Pt-co/Hazen/Apha so they are very suitable for oil industry.
If you have oil to measure, please choose our model TS4010/TS4020.
