Section III., 1913. [165] Trans. R.S.C. 



The Analysis of Maple Products. 

 Paper I. — An Electrical Conductivity Test for Purity of Maple Syrup.* 



By J. F. Snell. 

 Presented by Frank T. Shutt, M.A., F.R.S.C. 



(Read May 28, 1913) 



The most commonly used adulterant of maple syrup is granulated 

 sugar, which is, of course, chemically identical with the predominating 

 constituent of the pure material. For the detection of such adulteration 

 we are dependent upon measurements of the small quantities of the 

 non-sugar constituents, the percentages of which in the syrup are 

 necessarily decreased by the addition of the practically pure sucrose, 

 together with the proportional quantity of water necessary to convert 

 it into a syrup. The ash, the soluble and insoluble ash, the alkalinities 

 of these, the malic acid value, and the amounts of precipitate produced 

 by lead subacetate and by normal lead acetate are alike lowered by 

 such adulteration, though not necessarily in proportion to the amount 

 of adulteration.! 



Sucrose being a non-conductor of electricity, and the salt consti- 

 tuents conductors, it is reasonable to anticipate that maple syrups 

 adulterated with granulated sugar in more than very small quantities 

 will show materially lower conductivities than pure maple syrups. 

 Since, with suitable apparatus, a measurement of electrical conductivity 

 can be made in a few seconds, a method based upon such a measurement 

 would have a decided advantage in point of rapidity over any of the 

 methods now in vogue. } 



* This test was described at the Washington meeting of the American Chemical 

 Society in December, 1911, but publication was deferred until further experiments 

 could be made, particularly (1) upon the effect of adulteration on the conductivity 

 value and (2) upon the relation between the conductivity of the syrup and that of 

 its ash solution. This later experimental work has been carried out under my 

 direction by Mr. J. M. Scott, to whom my thanks are due for very competent assis- 

 tance. This assistance was rendered possible by the Dominion Government grant 

 for the Advancement of Agriculture. 



t The effect of such adulteration upon the various analytical values will be 

 discussed in a later paper. 



JAs long ago as 1889, E. Reichert, Zeit. Anal. Chem. 28, p. 14, (1889), and 

 more recently Hugh Main, International Sugar Journal, 11, p. 334 (1909), Zeit. Ver. 

 Zuckerind., 59, p. 783 (1909), Chem. Abstr., 3, p. 2249 (1909), and A. E. Lange, Z. Ver. 



