Acid/base content indicators

Ammonium chloride is analyzed by treatment with formaldehyde (neutralized with NaOH) and the product HCl formed is analyzed by titration using an acid-base color indicator such as phenolphthalein. Alternatively, it may be mixed with caustic soda solution and distdled. The distillate may be analyzed for NH3 by titration with H2SO4 or by colorimetric Nesslerization or with an ammonia-selective electrode (APHA, AWWA, WEF. 1995. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 19th ed. Washington, DC, American Pubhc Health Association). The presence of ammonia or any other ammonium compound would interfere in the test. The moisture content in NH4CI may be determined by Karl—Fischer method. 

A double end point, acid—base titration can be used to determine both sodium hydrosulfide and sodium sulfide content. Standardized hydrochloric acid is the titrant thymolphthalein and bromophenol blue are the indicators. Other bases having ionization constants in the ranges of the indicators used interfere with the analysis. Sodium thiosulfate and sodium thiocarbonate interfere quantitatively with the accuracy of the results. Detailed procedures to analyze sodium sulfide, sodium hydro sulfide, and sodium tetrasulfide are available (1). 

One 1-ml aliquot is added to 1.0 ml of freshly-distilled 1,2-dibromo-ethane (bp 132°C) in an oven-dried flask which contains a static atmosphere of nitrogen or argon. After the resulting solution has been allowed to stand at 25°C for 5 min, it Is diluted with 10 rat of water and titrated for base content (residual base) to a phenolphthalein endpoint with standard 0.100 M hydrochloric acid. The second 1-mL aliquot is added cautiously to 10 ml of water and then titrated for base content (total base) to a phenol phthalein endpoint with standard aqueous 0.100 M hydrochloric acid. The methyllithium concentration is the difference between the total base and residual base concentrations.2 Alternatively, the methynithiura concentration may be determined by titration with a standard solution of sec-butyl alcohol employing 2,2 -bipyridyl as an indicator. 

Hydrolysis of polyamide-based formulations with 6 N HC1 followed by TLC allows differentiation between a-aminocaproic acid (ACA) and hexamethylenedi-amine (HMD) (hydrolysis products of PA6 and PA6.6, respectively), even at low levels. The monomer composition (PA6/PA6.6 ratio) can be derived after chromatographic determination of the adipic acid (AA) content. Extraction of the hydrolysate with ether and derivatisa-tion allow the quantitative determination of fatty acids (from lubricants) by means of GC (Figure 3.27). Further HC1/HF treatment of the hydrolysis residue, which is composed of mineral fillers, CB and nonhydrolysable polymers (e.g. impact modifiers) permits determination of total IM and CB contents CB is measured quantitatively by means of TGA [157]. Acid hydrolysis of flame retarded polyamides allows to determine the adipic acid content (indicative of PA6.6) by means of HPLC, HCN content (indicative of melamine cyanurate) and fatty acid (indicative of a stearate) by means of GC [640]. Determination of ethylene oxide-based antistatic agents... 

Humic acido from ooilo and ligniteo have been examined by ERR spectrometry. All samples showed a stable free organic radical content of about 1018 spins per gram. When these samples were converted to their sodium salts, a marked increase in radical content occurred. This was interpreted to indicate that a quinhydrone moiety exists in the humic acid macromolecule. Synthetic humic acid, prepared by oxidizing catechol in the presence of amino acids, also showed similar ERR spectra, as did selected quinhydrone model compounds. The radical moiety appeared to be stable to severe oxidation and hydrolytic conditions. Reduction in basic media caused an initial decrease in radical species continued reduction generated new radical species. A proposed model for humic acid based on a hydroxyquinone structure is proposed. 

A complete understanding of the biochemical functions of DNA requires a clear picture of its structural and physical characteristics. DNA has significant absorption in the UV range because of the presence of the aromatic bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. This provides a useful probe into DNA structure because structural changes such as helix unwinding affect the extent of absorption. In addition, absorption measurements are used as an indication of DNA purity. The major absorption band for purified DNA peaks at about 260 nm. Protein material, the primary contaminant in DNA, has a peak absorption at 280 nm. The ratio A26(j/A2m is often used as a relative measure of the nucleic acid/protein content of a DNA sample. The typical A260/Am for isolated DNA is about 1.8. A smaller ratio indicates increased contamination by protein. 

Another major difference between the tar sand bitumen and the petroleum residues is suggested in Table IV. In all the petroleum samples, the base content is higher than the acid content. In the P. R. Spring sample, the acids are higher than the bases. This could indicate the differences in oxidation, maturation, or origin for the tar sand bitumen as compared with crude oils. In addition, the acid content may often have important effects on recovery processes, such as those which rely on caustic flooding. 

A correlation between reaction rates, molecular stmcture of the humic or fulvic acid, and content of reactive sites is more difficult to demonstrate. It has been hypothesized that the hydroquinone or quinone is the main reactive site for electron transfer during dechlorination reactions. Phenolic acidity, as based on the inflection point during titration of organic matter, is indicative of the hydroquinone content within humic materials. Published information indicates that the quinone content of humic acids is generally higher than for fulvic acid (Stevenson, 1994). 

Furthermore, it was necessary to remodel completely the remaining contents. First the theoretical portion had to be extended considerably. In all acid-base equilibria, activities and not concentrations determine the equilibrium conditions. Therefore, from a practical viewpoint, a summarizing description of the modern theory of strong electrolytes and of the activity concept is indispensable, especially since otherwise phenomena such as influence of dilution on the pH of a buffer mixture, or the salt vcrror of indicators, etc. have no quantitative explanation. 

Amine values are reported as milligrams of KOH equivalent to the base content of one gram of sample, and are obtained by titration with perchloric acid in acetic acid solvent using methyl violet indicator. 

The indicators were obtained from Kodak Laboratory Chemicals, Aldrich Chemical Company, and J.T. Baker and were used without further purification. The indicators employed in the majority of the titrations were bromocresol green and bromothymol blue each of which exhibits two acid-base transitions at Pka = -3.7, +4.6, and -1.5, +6.8, respectively(20, 22, 26) The medium for the titration and electrophoretic mobility experiments was benzene (Burdick and Jackson Laboratories) having a water content of less than 0.03 percent. The base used as titrant was n-butylamine, Baker analyzed reagent grade. 

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