Headspace Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration for the Determination of Water Content in Finished Tobacco Products

Abstract

Because many physicochemical properties of tobacco are highly sensitive to its moisture content, the determination of water level is an important parameter for tobacco characterization. A headspace volumetric Karl Fischer titration (HS-V-KFT) method is presented for the quantification of water content in different finished tobacco materials. The parameters affecting the extraction of water from the tobacco materials were the sample size and the oven temperature which have been optimized. The extraction of water from the samples was achieved within a reasonable time (<25 min) with a sample size of 200 mg and an optimum temperature of between 90 °C and 100 °C. The results of the water determination by HS-V-KFT at the optimized parameters were in good agreement with those obtained by standard volumetric Karl Fischer titration. HS-V-KFT showed very good repeatability (RSDr 0.9%) and intermediate precision (RSDiR 1.1%). With respect to a considerable time saving, solvent consumption reduction, precision and accuracy, HS-V-KFT can therefore be suggested as the method of choice to determine water amount in finished tobacco products.

Evaluation of mercury content in combustible tobacco products by employing cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy and considering the moisture content: a comprehensive study

“…Tobacco moisture is one of its crucial properties which is important for specific product preparation processes [25]. The used gravimetric determination method of moisture content provided an advantage over the homogeneity of the material.…”

The composition of contemporary American and Swedish smokeless tobacco products

“…Methods for moisture determination include thermal oven methods, and microwave oven methods [28]. Methods for water determination include several variations of the Karl Fischer method [29], azeotropic distillation with benzene or cyclohexane [30], near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy [31] and gas chromatography [32]. CORESTA initially developed two methods that were subsequently further developed into ISO-certified standards for measuring water in tobacco and tobacco products in the range 2–55%.…”