Abstract:The ability to identify types of vegetable oils by using a time-correlated single photon counting method and a HORIBA Scientific time-resolved spectrofluorometer was investigated. In combination with the data-processing software applications DAS6 and OriginPro8.5, camellia oil, peanut oil, and sunflower seed oil were successfully identified. Data fitting was performed using nonlinear least squares method, the optimal fitting method was determined by the goodness-of-fit (x2) and residual distribution, and the fluorescence lifetimes of three edible vegetable oils were obtained. The experimental results showed that the longest and shortest fluorescence lifetimes were presented by camellia oil and peanut oil, respectively, and the difference between sunflower oil and peanut oil was only 0.11 ns. Subsequently, a comparison test was performed with a mixture of camellia oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil, to prove the feasibility of the fluorescence lifetime analysis method to identify types of vegetable oils. This method avoids the effects of light source fluctuation and external stray light, and can therefore provide better precision and accuracy in the identification of vegetable oils, with reliable results. This study provides a new approach for the identification of vegetable oils.
