Development and use of extraction sample preparation in the chromatographic-mass spectrometric studies of cognac products

The distribution of ethanol and butanol between n-hexane and aqueous solutions of ammonium sulfate at 20 ± 1°C was studied over an ideal concentration region of the substances in the organic phase. The distribution constants of the substances and the increments of the methylene and hydroxyl groups of the alcohols in the logarithm of the distribution constant were calculated. It was found that an increase in the salt concentration in the aqueous phase resulted in a considerable increase in the increment of the methylene group and significantly improved the alcohol separation efficiency. The dependence of the distribution coefficients of ethanol and butanol on the concentration of ethanol in the aqueous phase was studied. A dramatic decrease in the increment of the methylene group was found as the ethanol concentration in the salt phase was increased above 4.5 vol %. A procedure was developed for extraction sample preparation for the subsequent determination of the characteristic components of cognac products and for the authentication of these products by gas chromatography. The essence of this procedure consists in the hexane extraction of butanol and other hydrophobic substances from cognac product samples prediluted with an aqueous solution of ammonium sulfate. In this case, the major portion of ethanol, as well as hydrophilic and thermally unstable impurities, which complicate analysis with direct sample injection, remained in the salt solution. The procedure was tested with 16 samples of cognac and cognac spirits from Georgia, including both authentic and adulterated products.