Refractive Index

A refractometer measures the extent to which light is bent (i.e. refracted) when
it moves from air into a sample and is typically used to determine the index of
refraction(“refractive index” or “n”) of a liquid sample. The refractive index is
a unitless number, between 1.3000 and 1.7000 for most compounds, and is
normally determined to five digit precision. Since the index of refraction depends
on both the temperature of the sample and the wavelength of light used these
are both indicated when reporting the refractive index:

The italicized n denotes refractive index, the superscript indicates the

temperature in degrees Celsius, and the subscript denotes the wavelength of
light (in this case the D indicates the sodium D line at 589 nm).

In the organic chemistry laboratory, refractive index is commonly determined to help identify pure liquid
samples by comparing the experimental value to published values for pure compounds. However, there
are many more applications for refractive index:

• Foods and Beverages • Petroleum

– Soluble solids in fruit products – Petroleum in oil sands
– Rancidity in edible oils – Olefins, aromatics, paraffins
– Moisture in honey and strawberry jam – Ethylene glycol in coolants
– Total solids, water and fat in milk • Agriculture
– Oil in avocado and olives – Oil content of seeds
– Fat in chocolate – Sweet corn maturity
– Moisture in meat – Salinity

Industrially, it is most often used to determine concentration of a dissolved solute in liquid samples. The
most common application is measuring the concentration of sugar dissolved in water, such as in fruit juices
and juice concentrates.

Examples of smaller, hand-held refractometers:

Dissolved sugar changes the refractive index of water substantially. Since sugar is the primary ingredient in
juices, the “Brix” scale of refractive index was developed.

Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is the sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of
sucrose in 100 grams (% w/w) of the solution. If the solution contains dissolved solids other than pure
sucrose, then the °Bx only approximates the dissolved solid content. The °Bx is traditionally used in the
wine, sugar, fruit juice, and honey industries. Since temperature can affect refractive index, it is important to
control this parameter during a measurement. (One degree Celsius changes R.I. by about 0.0001 unit.)
When a sugar solution is measured by refractometer or densitometer, the R.I. or °Bx value only represents
the amount of dry solids dissolved in the sample if the dry solids are exclusively sucrose. This is seldom the
case. Grape juice, for example, contains little sucrose but does contain glucose, fructose, acids and other
substances. In such cases the °Bx value clearly cannot be equated with the sucrose content but it may
represent a good approximation to the total sugar content. For example, an 11.0 %w/w D-Glucose ("grape
sugar") solution measures 10.9 °Bx.

When other solids are dissolved in the solution, they can affect the refractive index. For example, many fruit
juices contain citric acid that will increase the Brix value. Therefore, the citric acid is usually titrated and the
brix value is corrected from values in published tables.

Note the differences in sugar concentrations between orange, grape, and lemon juices. When imported
juices arrive (usually as juice concentrates), they are tested by U.S. Customs and the “Brix” value must meet
the respective specification in the following table. The values in the lower part of the table are the actual
refractometer readings that represent the typical combined citric acid and sugars.

When juice bottlers manufacture a fruit juice beverage, they purchase frozen juice concentrates on the
commodities market. The cost of these juices depends on their Brix value. The higher the Brix value, the
more concentrated the juice. The concentrates save on shipping and refrigeration costs. The concentrates
are diluted with water to the appropriate ratio as determined by the Brix numbers, and the resulting product is
pasteurized, filled, and sealed for sale.

US CUSTOMS TABLE OF CORRECTED BRIX VALUES FOR SELECTED JUICES* Relationship between Salt
GRAPE Solution and Sugar
DEGREE OF ORANGE LEMON JUICE Concentration (Brix) and
[VITIS VINIFERA]
CONCENTRATION JUICE refractive index at 20°C
JUICE
Salt(NaCl) Refractive
Brix %
Unconcentrated g/100g Index
(No Citric acid correction) 11.8 21.5 8.9 0 1.3330 0
R.I Reading (°Bx) 1 1.3348 1.3

Unconcentrated - 17.31 - 30.99 - 13.12 2 1.3366 2.5

3 1.3383 3.7
1.5 17.32 - 19.97 31.00 - 35.47 13.13 - 15.18
4 1.3400 4.8
2.0 19.98 - 25.14 35.48 - 43.95 15.19 - 19.21
5 1.3418 6.0
2.5 25.15 - 30.09 43.96 - 51.86 19.22 - 23.10
6 1.3435 7.2
3.0 30.10 - 34.85 51.87 - 59.27 23.11 - 26.87
7 1.3453 8.4
3.5 34.86 - 39.42 59.28 - 66.23 26.88 - 30.53 8 1.3470 9.5
4.0 39.43 - 43.83 66.24 - 72.81 30.54 - 34.09 9 1.3488 10.6
4.5 43.84 - 48.07 72.82 - 79.03 34.10 - 37.54 10 1.3505 11.7
5.0 48.08 - 52.17 79.04 - 84.95 37.55 - 40.89 11 1.3523 12.8
5.5 52.18 - 56.12 84.96 - 90.95 40.90 - 44.15 12 1.3541 14.9
6.0 56.13 - 59.95 — 44.16 - 47.32 13 1.3558 15.1
6.5 59.96 - 63.65 — 47.33 - 50.40 14 1.3576 16.1
7.0 63.66 - 67.25 — 50.41 - 53.41 15 1.3594 17.2
*Note: Brix correction = (0.1775 x % anhydrous citric acid) + 0.1343 16 1.3612 18.4
Some industries utilize the Brix scale to measure solute concentrations that 17 1.3630 19.5
contain no sugar at all. Of course, in this case the brix scale is similar to 18 1.3648 20.6
the refractive index… just a number that can be calibrated to the specific 19 1.3666 21.7
analytical method. A series of standards in prepared, measured, and then 20 1.3684 22.7
plotted. When an unknown containing the same solute is analyzed, the 21 1.3703 23.8
reading is compared to the chart to obtain the actual concentration. 22 1.3721 24.9
23 1.3740 26.0

For example, the concentration of salt solutions or antifreeze can be easily 24 1.3759 27.1
25 1.3778 28.1
measured by refractive index. However, alcohol water mixtures are not as
26 1.3797 29.2
easy. Note the refractive index values of the mixtures in the table below.
Also note the density of ethanol and methanol in the same solutions.
 Ethylene Glycol
1.4200

Propylene Glycol
Refractive Index of Selected Coolant
Density of Alcohol-Water

Ethylene Glycol

Methanol
Ethanol
%(w/w)
Solutions 1.0800

Methanol
Mixtures

Glycerol

Ethanol
% (w/w)

Glycerol
1.4100

Ethylene
0.50 0.9973 0.9973 0.9988
1.00 0.9963 0.9964 0.9995 Glycol
2.00 0.9945 0.9947 1.0007 1.0300
1.4000
3.00 0.9927 0.9930 1.0019
0.50 1.3331 1.3335 1.3330 1.3336 1.3333 4.00 0.9910 0.9913 1.0032
1.00 1.3332 1.3340 1.3339 1.3342 1.3336 Propylene 5.00 0.9893 0.9896 1.0044
2.00 1.3334 1.3350 1.3348 1.3353 1.3342 6.00 0.9878 0.9880 1.0057
Glycol
3.00 1.3336 1.3361 1.3358 1.3365 1.3348
1.3900
7.00
8.00
0.9862
0.9847
0.9864
0.9848
1.0070
1.0082
Ethanol
4.00 1.3338 1.3371 1.3367 1.3376 1.3354
9.00 0.9833 0.9832 1.0095
5.00 1.3341 1.3382 1.3377 1.3388 1.3360 10.00 0.9819 0.9816 1.0108 0.9800
6.00 1.3343 1.3393 1.3386 1.3400 1.3367 12.00 0.9792 0.9785 1.0134
7.00 1.3346 1.3403 1.3396 1.3412 1.3374 14.00 0.9765 0.9755 1.0161
8.00 1.3348 1.3414 1.3405 1.3424 1.3381 16.00 0.9739 0.9725 1.0188
1.3800
9.00 1.3351 1.3425 1.3415 1.3436 1.3388 Ethylene 18.00 0.9713 0.9695 1.0214

10.00 1.3354 1.3436 1.3425 1.3448 1.3395 Glycol

20.00
24.00
0.9687
0.9632
0.9666
0.9606
1.0241
1.0296 Methanol
12.00 1.3359 1.3459 1.3444 1.3472 1.3410 28.00 0.9571 0.9545 1.0350
0.9300
14.00 1.3365 1.3482 1.3464 1.3496 1.3425 32.00 0.9504 0.9482 1.0405
16.00 1.3370 1.3504 1.3484 1.3521 1.3440 1.3700 36.00 0.9431 0.9416 1.0460
18.00 1.3376 1.3528 1.3503 1.3547 1.3455 40.00 0.9352 0.9347 1.0514
44.00 0.9269 0.9273 1.0567
20.00 1.3381 1.3551 1.3523 1.3572 1.3469
48.00 0.9183 0.9196 1.0619
24.00 1.3392 1.3597 1.3564 1.3624 1.3498 52.00 0.9095 0.9114 1.0670
28.00 1.3402 1.3644 1.3605 1.3676 1.3524 Ethanol 56.00 0.9004 0.9030 1.0719
32.00 1.3411 1.3690 1.3646 1.3730 1.3546 1.3600 60.00 0.8911 0.8944 1.0765 0.8800
36.00 1.3419 1.3736 1.3687 1.3785 1.3566 62.00 0.8865 0.8901
40.00 1.3425 1.3780 1.3728 1.3841 1.3583 64.00 0.8818 0.8856
66.00 0.8771 0.8810
44.00 1.3429 1.3824 1.3769 1.3897 1.3598
68.00 0.8724 0.8763
48.00 1.3431 1.3867 1.3811 1.3954 1.3610 70.00 0.8676 0.8715
52.00 1.3431 1.3910 1.3851 1.4011 1.3621 1.3500 72.00 0.8629 0.8667
56.00 1.3429 1.3952 1.3892 1.4069 1.3630 74.00 0.8581 0.8618
60.00 1.3426 1.3995 1.3931 1.4129 1.3638 Methanol 76.00 0.8533 0.8568 0.8300
78.00 0.8485 0.8518
64.00 1.3422 1.4189 1.3644
80.00 0.8436 0.8468
68.00 1.3415 1.4249 1.3650 82.00 0.8387 0.8416
1.3400
72.00 1.3407 1.4310 1.3654 84.00 0.8335 0.8365
76.00 1.3397 1.4370 1.3657 86.00 0.8284 0.8312
80.00 1.3385 1.4431 1.3658 88.00 0.8232 0.8259
84.00 1.3372 1.4492 1.3656 90.00 0.8180 0.8204
92.00 0.8125 0.8148 0.7800
88.00 1.3357 1.4553 1.3653 1.3300 0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00
94.00 0.8070 0.8089
92.00 1.3339 1.4613 1.3646 0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00 96.00 0.8013 0.8034 % Organic (w/w)
96.00 1.3316 1.4674 1.3636 % Organic (w/w) 98.00 0.7954 0.7976
100.00 1.3290 1.4735 1.3614 100.00 0.7893 0.7917

Honey contains a lot of sugar that can be determined by refractive index. Notice that the plot below shows the
refractive index as a function of water (not sugar) in the mixture. Hence, a negative slope is observed. The
concentration of the sugars is calculated as the remainder (100% - % water = % sugar).
Calibration of the refractometer is important. While published values are helpful, it is critical to insure the
instrument is measuring values correctly. Liquid solutions are prepared or purchased that are measured under
the same conditions as the samples. Here is an actual example of a test for glycerin (glycerol) in water. Four
standards were prepared by weighing out the appropriate masses of glycerin and water, preparing
concentrations of 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%(w/w). These were measured on the Abby refractometer on a
cold day in the lab and the values differ slightly from the published values.

Refractive Index Calibration of Glycerin/Water Mixtures (Brix Scale)

%(w/w) °Bx °Bx Calibration
0.0% 0.0 Slope 73.59 °Bx y = 65.4x + 7.56
R² = 0.9992
70.0% 53.2 intercept 0.482
75.0
80.0% 60.2
90.0% 66.2 70.0
100.0% 73.0 65.0

Unknown Mixture of Glycerin in Water: 60.0

°Bx % Gycerin 55.0
Trial #1 54.8 73.8%
Trial #2 54.7 73.7% 50.0
70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%
Trial #3 54.8 73.8%

End of Document