Development of pure certified reference material of squalene

Abstract

A new certified reference material (CRM) of squalene (GBW(E) 091179) has been developed using a mass balance (MB) approach in conjunction with quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) technique. In compliance with ISO guidelines, the candidate CRM has been investigated for preparation, structure determination, characterization, homogeneity study, stability studies, as well as uncertainty evaluation. The squalene CRM has a certified value of 99.4 %, whose expanded uncertainty is 0.2 % (k = 2). Under a −20 °C condition, the squalene CRM is stable for no less than 12 months, while at 50 °C, its stability duration is 14 days. The uncertainty was evaluated by combining the contributions from characterization, homogeneity, and stability. The developed squalene CRM may be an effective support for method validation, intercomparison in the laboratory, quality control, and metrological traceability used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.