Ammonia titration

Nelson and Sommers [44] have described a Kjeldahl digestion procedure for the determination of total nitrogen in soils in which the sample is digested with sulphuric acid using a selenium catalyst. The digest is steam distilled with sodium hydroxide and ammonia titrated with 3.5mM sulphuric acid. Various other workers have discussed the application of Kjeldahl digestion to the determination of total nitrogen in soils [45-47]. 

The titration curves for weak bases and strong acids are similar to those for weak acids and strong bases except that they are inverted (recall that strong is added to weak). Figure 19-5 displays the titration curve for 100.0 mL of 0.100 M aqueous ammonia titrated with 0.100 MHCl solution. 

The titration of a weak base with a strong acid is completely analogous to the above case, but the titration curves are the reverse of those for a weak acid versus a strong base. The titration curve for 100 mL of 0.1 M ammonia titrated with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid is shown in Figure 8.8. The neutralization reaction is... 

M. Niwa, K. Suzuki, M. Kishida and Y. Murakami, Benzaldehyde-ammonia titration method for discrimination between surfaces of metal oxide catalysts, Appl. Catal., 67(2), 297-305, 1991. 

Table 2.6 Recommended sample size and normality of hydrochloric add used in final ammonia titration ...

Ammonia may be estimated by dissolving the gas in a known volume of standard acid and then back-titrating the excess acid. In a method widely used for the determination of basic nitrogen in organic substances (the Kjeldahl method), the nitrogenous material is converted into ammonium sulphate by heating with concentrated sulphuric acid. The ammonia is then driven off by the action of alkali and absorbed in standard acid. 

By the evolution of ammonia with Devarda s alloy in alkaline solution in absence of ammonium ions this is used quantitatively, the ammonia being absorbed in excess standard acid and the excess acid back-titrated. 

Addition of silver nitrate to a solution of a chloride in dilute nitric acid gives a white precipitate of silver chloride, AgCl, soluble in ammonia solution. This test may be used for gravimetric or volumetric estimation of chloride the silver chloride can be filtered off, dried and weighed, or the chloride titrated with standard silver nitrate using potassium chromate(VI) or fluorescein as indicator. 

The steam-distillation is continued for 5 minutes after steam can first be seen entering the condenser the ideal rate of distillation is about 4 -5 ml. of distillate per minute, but this is not critical and may be varied within reasonable limits. The receiver J is then lowered from the lip K of the condenser and the steam-distillation continued for a further two minutes, thus ensuring that no traces of liquid containing ammonia are left on the inside of the condenser. At the end of this time any liquid on the lip K is rinsed with distilled water into J, which is then ready for titration. It is important that the receiver and its contents are kept cold during the distillation and it is advisable to interpose a piece of asbestos board or other screen so that it is not exposed to the heat from the burner under the steam generator. 

Titration. The solution of ammonia absorbed in saturated boric acid may now be titrated as an alkali directly with 0 025 A.HCl (best obtained by dilution of commercially available standard A.HCl in a graduated flask). Three drops of indicator (mixed methyl-red/methyl-ene-blue being most satisfactory) are added to the liquid in the receiver and the 0 025 A.HCl run in from an accurate burette. 

The method is based on the conversion of urea to amnionium carbonate and the estimation of the latter by titration with standard acid. For this purpose, two equal quantities of urea (or urine) are measured out into two flasks A and B. A is treated with 10 ml. of a strong urease preparation and some phenol-phthalein, warm water is added and the mixture is adjusted by the addition of V/io HCl from a burette A until the red colour is just discharged. This brings the mixture to about pH 8 (the optimum for urease) and also prevents loss of ammonia. 

Direct Titrations. The most convenient and simplest manner is the measured addition of a standard chelon solution to the sample solution (brought to the proper conditions of pH, buffer, etc.) until the metal ion is stoichiometrically chelated. Auxiliary complexing agents such as citrate, tartrate, or triethanolamine are added, if necessary, to prevent the precipitation of metal hydroxides or basic salts at the optimum pH for titration. Eor example, tartrate is added in the direct titration of lead. If a pH range of 9 to 10 is suitable, a buffer of ammonia and ammonium chloride is often added in relatively concentrated form, both to adjust the pH and to supply ammonia as an auxiliary complexing agent for those metal ions which form ammine complexes. A few metals, notably iron(III), bismuth, and thorium, are titrated in acid solution. 

All other things being equal, the strength of a weak acid increases if it is placed in a solvent that is more basic than water, whereas the strength of a weak base increases if it is placed in a solvent that is more acidic than water. In some cases, however, the opposite effect is observed. For example, the pKb for ammonia is 4.76 in water and 6.40 in the more acidic glacial acetic acid. In contradiction to our expectations, ammonia is a weaker base in the more acidic solvent. A full description of the solvent s effect on a weak acid s piQ or on the pKb of a weak base is beyond the scope of this text. You should be aware, however, that titrations that are not feasible in water may be feasible in a different solvent. 

Sketch the titration curve for 50.0 mL of 5.00 X 10 M Cd + with 0.010 M EDTA at a pH of 10, and in the presence of an ammonia concentration that is held constant throughout the titration at 0.010 M. This is the same titration for which we previously calculated the titration curve (Table 9.15 and figure 9.27). 

Analytical Procedures. Standard methods for analysis of food-grade adipic acid are described ia the Food Chemicals Codex (see Refs, ia Table 8). Classical methods are used for assay (titration), trace metals (As, heavy metals as Pb), and total ash. Water is determined by Kad-Fisher titration of a methanol solution of the acid. Determination of color ia methanol solution (APHA, Hazen equivalent, max. 10), as well as iron and other metals, are also described elsewhere (175). Other analyses frequendy are required for resia-grade acid. For example, hydrolyzable nitrogen (NH, amides, nitriles, etc) is determined by distillation of ammonia from an alkaline solution. Reducible nitrogen (nitrates and nitroorganics) may then be determined by adding DeVarda s alloy and continuing the distillation. Hydrocarbon oil contaminants may be determined by ir analysis of halocarbon extracts of alkaline solutions of the acid. 

Methanol can be converted to a dye after oxidation to formaldehyde and subsequent reaction with chromatropic acid [148-25-4]. The dye formed can be deterruined photometrically. However, gc methods are more convenient. Ammonium formate [540-69-2] is converted thermally to formic acid and ammonia. The latter is trapped by formaldehyde, which makes it possible to titrate the residual acid by conventional methods. The water content can be determined by standard Kad Eischer titration. In order to determine iron, it has to be reduced to the iron(II) form and converted to its bipyridyl complex. This compound is red and can be determined photometrically. Contamination with iron and impurities with polymeric hydrocyanic acid are mainly responsible for the color number of the merchandized formamide (<20 APHA). Hydrocyanic acid is detected by converting it to a blue dye that is analyzed and deterruined photometrically. 

The precipitated acetyHde must be decomposed with hydrochloric acid after the titration as a safety measure. Concentrated solutions of silver nitrate or silver perchlorate form soluble complexes of silver acetyHde (89). Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide interfere with the silver nitrate method which is less... 

Devarda s Method. Nitrogen in nitrates or nitric acid also may be deterrnined by the Kjeldahl method or by Devarda s method. The latter is both convenient and accurate when no organic nitrogen is present. The nitrate is reduced by Devarda s alloy to ammonia in an alkaline solution. The ammonia is distilled and titrated with standard acid. 

Anhydrous ammonia is normally analy2ed for moisture, oil, and residue. The ammonia is first evaporated from the sample and the residue tested (86). In most instances, the amount of oil and sediment ia the samples are insignificant and the entire residue may be assumed to be water. For more accurate moisture determinations, the ammonia can be dissociated into nitrogen and hydrogen and the dewpoint of the dissociated gas obtained. This procedure works well where the concentration of water is in the ppm range. Where the amount of water is in the range of a few hundredths of a percent, acetic acid and methanol can be added to the residue and a Karl Fischer titration performed to an electrometricaHy detected end point (89—92). 

Gas streams can be analy2ed for ammonia by bubbling a measured quantity of the gas through a boric acid solution to absorb the ammonia. The solution is then titrated against sulfuric acid. This analysis is applicable only if other constituents in the gas stream do not react with boric acid. 

Ammonia and ammonium ions in industrial water streams, including waste-water streams, can be determined by either of two methods (ASTM Procedure D1426). In the first, the sample is buffered to a pH of 7.4 and distilled into a solution of boric acid where the ammonia nitrogen is deterrnined colorimetricaHy with Nessler reagents or titrated using standard sulfuric acid. 

A number of simple, standard methods have been developed for the analysis of ammonium compounds, several of which have been adapted to automated or instmmental methods. Ammonium content is most easily deterrnined by adding excess sodium hydroxide to a solution of the salt. Liberated ammonia is then distilled into standard sulfuric acid and the excess acid titrated. Other methods include colorimetry (2) and the use of a specific ion electrode (3). 

Reduction. Triaryknethane dyes are reduced readily to leuco bases with a variety of reagents, including sodium hydrosulfite, 2inc and acid (hydrochloric, acetic), 2inc dust and ammonia, and titanous chloride in concentrated hydrochloric acid. Reduction with titanium trichloride (Knecht method) is used for rapidly assaying triaryknethane dyes. The TiCl titration is carried out to a colorless end point which is usually very sharp (see Titanium COMPOUNDS, inorganic). 

There are four basic sulfates that can be identified by potentiometric titration using sodium carbonate (39,40) langite [1318-78-17, CuSO -3Cu(OH)2 H2 i brochantite [12068-81 -4] CuSO -3Cu(OH)2 antedite [12019-54-4] CuSO -2Cu(OH)2 and CuS0 -Cu0-2Cu(0H)2-xH20. The basic copper(II) sulfate that is available commercially is known as the tribasic copper sulfate [12068-81 ] CuS04-3Cu(0H)2, which occurs as the green monoclinic mineral brochantite. This material is essentially insoluble in water, but dissolves readily in cold dilute mineral acids, warm acetic acid, and ammonia solutions. 

Dry air is blown through the solution to remove the excess of ammonia, and the solution is then dissolved in its own volume of absolute alcohol. A sample of this solution is titrated with standard oxalic acid, litmus being used as an outside indicator (Note 3). The amount of oxalic acid (Note 4) necessary to form the acid salt is placed in a large evaporating dish and dissolved in 4 1. of 95 per cent alcohol. The amine solution is then slowly run into the acid with constant stirring. During the addition of the last half of the amine solution, the container must be cooled in order to avoid the formation of the neutral oxalate,... 

After the apparatus has been fitted together the caustic soda solution is run in slowly and the flask shaken. The liquid is no more ammonia is evolved be ascertained by testing a drop litmus paper. If the operation is titrated with half-normal sodium methyl orange as indicator. 

A slrang acid-weak base titration. The curve represents Ihe titration of 50.00 mL of 1.000 M ammonia, a weak base, with 1.000 M HCI. The solution at the equivalence point is acidic because of the NfV ion. Methyl red is a suitable indicator phenolphthalein would change color much too early. 

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