A PROCESS AND TEST KIT FOR COCAINE DETECTION

摘要

Test kit and method for discriminating cocaine and its salts from substances that falsely give a positive colour reaction with Scott's thiocyanate reagent. As all Scott false positive substances have lower pKa values than cocaine, or in their basic form higher pKa values than the cocaine base, they can be discriminated from cocaine by a suitable pH test of the solution. The pH indicator is preferably organic or lipophilic so that it can be dissolved in a solvent immiscible with water. The partitioning of the organic cocaine base or its salt between an organic and a water phase of specific pH is used to further distinguish the test substances.