Lovibond Colour Number

The Lovibond® scale is based on 84 calibrated color standards made of glass, with varying optical densities in the colors Magenta (Red), Yellow, Blue, and Neutral, ranging from desaturated to fully saturated. The three primary colors and the neutral filters are combined until they match the color of the sample; the result is a set of glass filters (RYBN units) that define the sample’s color. This method is defined, for example, in ISO 15305.
The primary application areas are color measurement of oils, fats, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and syrups. The Lovibond color number is standardized for layer thicknesses of 1 inch = 25.4 mm and 5.25 inches = 133 mm. In typical applications, usually only the two values Lov-R and Lov-Y are examined. In this case, the zero value of all parameters corresponds to a completely colorless sample.