Year: 2026 | Month: May | Volume: 13 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 699-702
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260568
Evaluation of Thermal Degradation in Palm Oil Using Light Polarization Analysis
Heri Sugito
Department of Physics, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia.
Corresponding Author: Heri Sugito
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the thermal degradation behavior of palm oil using a light polarization method. Palm oil samples were subjected to different heating durations of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours at an average temperature of 100°C. The degradation process was analyzed by observing changes in natural and electro-optic polarization angles under an applied voltage of 0–9 kV using a 532 nm laser source. The results showed that the polarization angle increased proportionally with heating duration, indicating progressive oil degradation. Palm oil heated for 8 hours exhibited the highest increase in polarization angle, corresponding to a significant reduction in oil quality. The findings demonstrate that light polarization analysis can be utilized as a non-destructive optical method for evaluating thermal degradation in edible oils.
Keywords: palm oil, thermal degradation, light polarization, edible oil quality
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