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Lecture 7 Alcohol Determination

This document describes methods for determining the alcohol content in fluids like extracts and tinctures. It discusses two main methods: distillation and gas chromatography. The distillation method involves boiling the liquid to separate out the alcohol from other components based on differences in boiling points. It provides detailed steps for collecting and measuring distillates to calculate alcohol percentage using reference tables. It also describes how to account for liquids with different presumed alcohol contents and prevent issues like foaming during the process. The goal is to precisely quantify the alcohol in various formulations.

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341 views

Lecture 7 Alcohol Determination

This document describes methods for determining the alcohol content in fluids like extracts and tinctures. It discusses two main methods: distillation and gas chromatography. The distillation method involves boiling the liquid to separate out the alcohol from other components based on differences in boiling points. It provides detailed steps for collecting and measuring distillates to calculate alcohol percentage using reference tables. It also describes how to account for liquids with different presumed alcohol contents and prevent issues like foaming during the process. The goal is to precisely quantify the alcohol in various formulations.

Uploaded by

m ahsan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Alcohol Determination

Introduction
Definition:
• It refers to the process of determination of alcoholic contents in
different dosage forms e.g Fluid extract, tincture and elixirs.

Purpose:
• For quantitative determination of alcohol in fluid extract and tincture.
• Determination of alcohol in blood and breath.
Methods
There are following Alcoholometric methods:
1. Distillation method
a) Normal procedure
b) Special procedure where volatile component are present.
c) Procedure for products which would cause emulsification with light
petroleum.
d) Procedure involving special techniques
2. Gas-liquid chromatography
Method I—Distillation Method (As per
USP)
• Boiling point of water = 100oC
• Boiling point of Ethanol = 78oC
Continued…
• Method-I is to be used for the determination of alcohol
• It is suitable for examining most fluidextracts and tinctures
• The capacity of the distilling flask should be sufficient (commonly two
to four times the volume of the liquid to be heated) and the rate of
distillation is such that clear distillates are produced.
• Cloudy distillates may be clarified by agitation with talc, or with
calcium carbonate, and filtered, after which the temperature of the
filtrate is adjusted and the alcohol content determined from the
specific gravity.
Continued…
• During all operations, take precautions to minimize the loss of alcohol
by evaporation.
• Treat liquids that froth to a troublesome extent during distillation by
rendering them strongly acidic with phosphoric, sulfuric, or tannic
acid, or treat with a slight excess of calcium chloride solution or with a
small amount of paraffin or silicone oil before starting the distillation.
• Prevent bumping during distillation by adding porous chips of
insoluble material such as silicon carbide, or beads.
For liquids presumed to contain 30% of alcohol or
less
• By means of a pipette, transfer to a suitable distilling apparatus not
less than 25 mL of the liquid in which the alcohol is to be determined
• Note the temperature at which the volume was measured.
• Add an equal volume of water, distill, and collect a volume of distillate
about 2 mL less than the volume taken of the original test liquid
• Adjust to the temperature at which the original test liquid was
measured,
• Add sufficient water to measure exactly the original volume of the
test liquid, and mix.
Continued…
• The distillate is clear or not more than slightly cloudy, and does not
contain more than traces of volatile substances other than alcohol
and water.
• Determine the specific gravity of the liquid at 25°C
• Use this result to ascertain the percentage, by volume, of alcohol
contained in the liquid examined by reference to the Alcoholometric
Table.
For liquids presumed to contain more than 30% of alcohol

• Proceed as directed in previous method, except to do the following:


• Dilute the specimen with about twice its volume of water,
• Collect a volume of distillate about 2 mL less than twice the volume of
the original test liquid,
• Bring to the temperature at which the original liquid was measured,
• Add sufficient water to measure exactly twice the original volume of
the test liquid, mix, and determine its specific gravity.
• The proportion of alcohol, by volume, in this distillate, as determined
from its specific gravity, equals one-half that in the liquid examined.
Specific Gravity
1. Determine the weigh (W) an empty pycnometer after rinsing it
with a suitable solvent such as acetone and drying.
2. Remove the stopper and fill the pycnometer with syrup
3. Place the stopper avoiding bubble formation.
4. Keep the pycnometer in a water bath at 25°C until the
temperature equilibrates.
5. Clean the surface of pycnometer and determine weight of filled
pycnometer (W1)
6. Clean the pycnometer again and determine the weight of water
(W2) using the above procedure.
7. Determine the specific gravity by using the formula.
d =W1-W / W2-W
Alcoholometric Table

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