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• Describe the Ash content

• Discuss the types of ash content
• Interpret the official methods of ash content
determination
 Ash values

• Ash values are helpful in determining the quality and

purity of crude drugs, especially in powder form.

“The mass of incombustible material remaining after

burning a given sample as a percentage of the
original mass”.
 Ash content

Ash Content:
The inorganic residue obtained by igniting a
specimen of pulp, paper or other cellulosic
material in such a way that the combustible
and volatile compounds are removed.
• expressed as the percentage of such residue
based on the weight of the test specimen.
• The test must be specified as air-dry or oven-
dry ash.
TYPES OF ASH
Types of ash
 Total ash
Ash value : method 1

• For vegetable drugs:

Incinerate about 2-3 g of the ground drug in
platinum or silica dish at NMT 450°C until free
from carbon, cool and weigh.
• Calculate the percentage of ash.
• For other substances: carry out same
process with 1 g of substance.
 Ash value : method 2

• Heat the crucible to redness for 30min, allow

to cool in desiccator and weigh.
• Take 1g of substance.
• Dry at 100°C to 105°C for 1 hour .
• Ignite in furnace at 600°C ± 25°C.
• Cool the crucible in dessicator after each
ignition.
 2.Acid insoluble ash
Method 1

Method I:
• Boil the ash for 5minutes with 25ml of 2M
HCI.
• Collect insoluble matter in sintered crucible
• Wash with hot water and ignite.
• Calculate the percentage of ash.
 2.Acid insoluble ash
Method 2
• In sulphated /total ash residue, add 15ml
water and 10ml HCI, boil for 10 min and
cool.
• Filter, wash with hot water until filtrate is
neutral dry, ignite to dull redness, cool, weigh.
• Reheat until the difference b/w 2weighing is
NMT 1mg.
 3.Water soluble ash
• Boil the total ash for 5 minutes with 25 ml of water;
collect the insoluble matter in a crucible or on an ash
less filter paper, wash with hot water,
• ignite to constant weight at a low temperature.
Subtract the weight of insoluble matter from the
weight of the ash;
• the difference in weight represents the water- soluble
ash.
• Calculate the percentage of water- soluble ash with
reference to the air dried drug.
 4. Sulphated ash

• Heat platinum dish to redness.

• Take 1g of substance and moistened with
H2SO4.
• Ignite gently and again moisten with sulphuric
acid and ignite at about 800°C.
• Cool, weigh again, ignite for 15 minutes and
repeat the same procedure until two
successive weighing do not differ by more
than 0.5mg.