Two species of spearmint are cultivated in the United States. In 2008, 1.09 million kilograms of spearmint oil were produced in the U.S.(1) Forty-five percent of U.S. spearmint oil is used to flavor chewing gum. One 55-gallon drum of mint oil can flavor 5,200,000 sticks of gum or 400,000 tubes of toothpaste.(2)

Sulfur compounds impart undesirable odors to essential oils used in flavor and fragrance products. Volatile sulfur compounds have extremely low olfactory thresholds. Detecting, indentifying, and eliminating sulfur compounds are important aspects of flavor and fragrance quality control.

This study examined the use of a Pulsed Flame Photometric Detector (PFPD) to locate and measure low-level sulfur compounds among the large number of hydrocarbon peaks present in a typical GC-FID chromatogram of neat spearmint oil. The analytical methodology employed in this rapid screening technique and chromatographic results are presented.

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5383 Pulsed Flame Photometric Detector (PFPD)

The Model 5383 Pulsed Flame Photometric Detector (PFPD) uses superior sensitivity and increased selectivity to easily and accurately analyze sulfur, phosphorus, and 26 other elements.

The superior sensitivity of the 5383 PFPD makes it the instrument of choice for the analysis of sulfur, phosphorus, and other elements. Its linear, equimolar response to sulfur allows selective measurement of individual sulfur species from low ppb to ppm levels, and total sulfur as the sum of individual peaks. The unique capability to obtain simultaneous sulfur and hydrocarbon chromatograms from a single PFPD detector sets it apart from other sulfur detection technologies.

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