Analysis of a mixture of a known and an unknown weak acid by titration to a preset pH.
The preset-pH titration method has been used to indicate the presence of a second acid when the titration curve (pH vs. volume of added titrant) seems to indicate only one acid. By use of the method even small amounts of propionic acid can be detected in an acetic acid solution despite the small value of Delta log K(H)(HA) = 0.18. Binary mixtures of acids may bs analysed when one acid is known, and log k(H)(HA) for the unknown acid may be found. Acetic acid, as the known acid, has been determined together with hydrochloric, mandelic, hydroxyacetic or boric acid or ammonium ion, with an error of about 1%. The method can be used in some cases for titration of ternary mixtures of one known and two unknown acids. Only the sum of the unknown acids can then be determined together with the known acid.
Livaska
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Department of Analytical Chemistry, Abo Akademi, Abo 50, Finland.