METHOD FOR RECOVERING STEAM-VOLATILE ORGANIC BASES, PARTICULARLY ALKALOIDS OF TOBACCO

• US 3,803,004 A
• Filed: 03/01/1971
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Laszlo Egri
• Original Assignee: Laszlo Egri
• Inventors: Egri, Laszlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bascomb, Jr., Wilbur L.
• Application Number:
  US05/119,749
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 23/272.6S,253R,23R 131/143 260/291 203/96,95,97,3,37,29,44 202/169,168,234
• US Class Current: 203/29
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/24 by extraction; Tobacco extracts
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/243 Nicotine
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/94 involving narcotics or drugs or pharmaceuticals, neurotransmitters or associated receptors

Abstract

Method for analyzing steam-volatile organic bases, particularly alkaloids of tobacco, by means of steam distillation of previously alkalized materials to be tested. Hot steam carrying the steam-volatile bases is introduced directly into a solvent. The organic portion of the steam-volatile bases is dissolved in such solvent while the inorganic portion of such bases is dissolved in an aqueous phase which is formed by the condensing steam. After the distillation is completed the aqueous phase is separated from the organic phase and the organic bases contained in the organic solvent are then quantitatively analyzed.

Claims

2. A method according to claim 1, in which said test material is powdered tobacco and said steam-volatile tobacco alkaloids are nicotine alkaloids.

3. A method according to claim 2, in which the tobacco is mixed with an aqueous solution of alkalizing agent and the stream of steam is flowed through the mixture of tobacco and aqueous alkalizing agent solution.

4. A method according to claim 3, in which the mixture consists of tobacco and aqueous alkalizing agent solution, said mixture containing not more than 20 ml of aqueous alkalizing agent solution per 1 g of tobacco.

5. A method according to claim 3, in which the mixture also contains an inorganic salt.

6. A method according to claim 3, in which the steam is flowed through the mixture at a rate of at least about 10 ml/minute.

7. A method according to claim 3, in which the extraction solvent contains mixed therein at least one inorganic salt in an amount sufficient to form a substantially saturated solution of said salt in said second liquid phase.

8. A method according to claim 3, in which the stream of steam is flowed through a selected quantity of said mixture for a period of time sufficient to volatilize substantially all of the steam-volatile components of the tobacco and then flow of steam is terminated.

9. A method according to claim 3, in which the extraction solvent is toluene and the aqueous solution of alkalizing agent is an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide.