Applications of Acid Base Titrations

1. Medicine
Blood Sugar Testing
 Diabetics can measure the amount of glucose in their blood by using a small portable machine called a blood
glucose meter. To use the machine, a small sample of blood is applied to a test strip and mixed with reactants,
then a small electrical current is applied to the sample. The current is affected by the concentration of the
reactants and can then be used to measure the amount of glucose present in the blood.
Pregnancy Testing
 Home pregnancy testing kits detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in a subject's urine
applied to a test strip or solution. The application of urine causes a color change that will indicate either a positive
or negative test result as early as two weeks after conception. A more comprehensive pregnancy test applies
titration to a blood sample to measure the specific amount of hCG present in the blood. This test can also detect
possible problems with the pregnancy and determine how long the subject has been pregnant and can only be
performed by a health care provider.

Aquarium Water Testing
 The water in a home aquarium constitutes a small and delicately balanced environment for fish. If the properties
of aquarium water change too drastically, disease and death of pets can result. In order to monitor changes in
water conditions, home test kits are sold containing chemicals to test the pH level of water as well as the levels of
ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates by placing a measured amount of the test chemical in a water sample
and observing the extent, if any, of the resulting color change.

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Acid Rain
 Environmental studies usually involve an analysis of precipitation and its response to pollution. To quantify the
degree of contamination in natural rain water or snow, titration is used. The process is quick and results are
reliable. Since most titration processes do not require expensive or specialized equipment, the test can be
performed often and in different areas with relatively little effort.
Wastewater Analysis
 The safety of water is based on its chemical ingredients. By analyzing wastewater, the extent of contamination and
the requirements for filtering and cleaning can be determined. Titration is a key mechanism in this analysis. Often,
more specialized titration equipment is used in this application that can measure ammonia levels in combination
with other reactants to quantify other chemicals present.

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Nutrition
 The compounds which make up food products help determine their nutritional implications. Titration is one
technique that assists in these studies. The acidity of orange juice, for example, is easily determined using a
standard titration process. In this process, an electrode is added to a solution comprised of orange juice and
deionized water. The titrant catalyst then measures the acidity of the juice. Manufacturers can use the technique
to vary this quality to satisfy customers or those with special nutritional needs.
Wine
 The flavor of wine is a delicate balance often affected by its degree of acidity. This quality also affects how the
wine responds to age. It is possible to improve wine production by measuring acidity using titration. Simple,
inexpensive titration kits are available to winemakers for this purpose. The process is straightforward and uses
minimal equipment. The results of a titration test on wine can suggest if additional ingredients are necessary to
maintain its quality.
Pharmacology
 The development of medication is a precise science that relies on specific measurements of chemical quantities.
Titration is thus an important part of the pharmaceutical industry to ensure quality control. Many variations of the
 titration technique are used, and often specialized equipment for pharmaceutical titration is developed to make
the process more efficient.

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Method of Karl Fischer Titration
Early History of Karl Fischer Titration
 In 1935, the German chemist Karl Fischer developed a titration method to determine trace amounts of moisture in
a sample of sulfur dioxide, known today as the Karl Fischer (KF) titration. However, as noted by Sigmaldrich,
because lab technicians “disliked [the method] since it was difficult to determine the end-point” and due to
residual “malodorous” pyridine in the reaction, the KF titrationnot gain any popularity in the scientific community.
Recent Modifications of the Karl Fischer Titration Method
 After Eugene Scholz modified the method in the 1980s by replacing pyridine with imidazole, not only did the
original malodorousness of the KF titration method disappear, but the increased basicity of the imidazole rendered
more quickly obtainable and accurate end-point. Due to this breakthrough, variants of the KF titration--the one-
component, two-component and coulometric titration methods--quickly developed.
More recent modifications of the method have decreased or altogether eliminated use of carcinogenic solvents in
KF titrations.

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Applicability of the Karl Fischer Titrations
 In industrial settings where even trace amounts of water can be extremely detrimental to equipment or chemical
reactions, KF titrations serve as a useful and accurate determinant of water content. The basic principle of KF
titrations relies on iodine with water in an alcoholic solution in the presence of sulfur dioxide and a base.
The main difference between the two variants of KF titrations--volumetric and coulometric--lies the application of
the titrant. Due to this difference, coulometric titrations can detect far smaller quantities of water than volumetric
titrations can.
Volumetric Titration
 In volumetric titrations, titrant--usually a mixture of known concentrations of ethanol, base, sulfur dioxide and
iodine--is added directly to the sample of unknown moisture content. In this variant of the KF titration, the amount
of titrant needed to convert the sample is used to determine the moisture content of the sample, where one mole
of titrant is consumed per one mole of water.
Coulometric Titration
 Machinerylubrication.com describes coulometric titrations as containing a set-up of an anodic and cathodic
compartment, where the “anodic compartment contains the anolyte solution which includes sulfur dioxide (SO2),
iodide (I-) and imidazole” with a solvent of either methanol or ethanol. Water is titrated when it comes into
contact with the iodine. Ultimately, the current required for iodide to reach the end point (when excess iodine
lowers the voltage) can be used to measure the water content of the original sample, as one mole of iodine is
consumed per two moles of water.
Advantage of Karl Fischer Titrations
 Karl Fischer titration methods are preferred over other methods of titration due to a relative lack of interferences,
its ability to quantify a range of water (from less than 1 ppm to 100 percent), its accuracy and precision, and its
versatility in measuring the moisture content in liquids, gases, as well as solids.

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Water analysis
Estimation of Hardness of water : Hardness of water is conveniently expressed in terms of dissolved salts of
calcium, magnesium and iron—calculated as parts of CaCO3 equivalent per million parts of water (ppm). If a
sample of water contains Ts parts of calcium carbonate equivalent per 10,00,000 parts, it possesses n degree of
hardness. One degree of hardness Is therefore, the hardness caused by one part of CaCO3 (or its equivalent) in one
million parts of water.
Water hardness is of two kinds Temporary hardness (carbonate hardness) and Permanent Hardness (non-
carbonate hardness). Total hardness of water is the sum of the temporary and permanent hardness.
The degree of hardness for soft water: 0-10°., Medium tiara water: 10-20°, Hard water: 20-300, and very hard
water -above 30.
Permute water treatment process gives water of almost zero hardness.
1. Total hardness of water is estimated by titration a ‘measured volume of water with a standard soap
solution until a lather lasting for about two minutes is obtained on shaking—the soap solution being
previously standardized against water containing a known concentration of CaC12. The soap hardness of
toiled water is a measure of its permanent hardness. The .difference between total hardness and
permanent hardness gives the temporary hardness of water.
2. Titration of water with a standard acid (HCl or H2SO4) solution, using Methyl Orange Indicator, gives the
measure of its temporary hardness.
Ca(HCO3)2+2HCl = CaC12+2H20+CO3
i.e., 1 ml. of 0.1N HCl = 0.005 gm of CaCO3
Estimation of hardness by Soap solution method
The solutions required are:
1. A standard solution of CaCl3 prepared by dissolving 0.2 gm of pure CaCO3 in a small quantity of dilute
hydrochloric acid. The solution is then evaporated, to dryness to remove excess acid. The residue is
thereafter dis-solved in one liter of distilled water.
2. Standard soap solution: 100 gms of pure dry soap is dissolved in one liter of 80 per cent alcohol. This
solution is diluted with such quantity of 80 per cent alcohol that 6.4 ml when added to 20 ml of standard
CaCl3 solution produces a pertinent lather.
Procedure: 50 nil of water under test is taken in a stoppered bottle and to it is added standard soap solution by
burette 0.2 ml at a time. The mixture is shaken vigorously after eacb addition until lather formation starts. Then
the addition of soap. solution is made at the rate of 0.1 ml at a time till a lather is obtainedwhich persists for 5
minutes when the bottle is kept aside. The total soap solution added is read from the burette. The hardness as
CaCO3 is then found out from a standard table.
For the determination of permanent hardness the water is_ boiled and then treated with a measured excess of
standard Na2CO2 solution, and the filtrate treated with a standard acid using Methyl Orange as indicator, and the
volume of Na2CO3. originally added, minus that left over, is the volume actually consumed in the precipitation of
alkaline earth salts, and its-CaCO3 equivalent gives the permanent hardness:
CaSO4 + Na2CO3 = CaCO3 + Na2SO4
MgC12 + Na2CO3 = MgCO3+2NaCl
i.e., 1 ml. of 0. 1N. Na2CO3 = 0.005 gm CaCO3
Total Hardness
Total hardness is conveniently determined by titration of EDTA (the disodium salt of ethylene diamine tetra acetic
acid available as Versene).
EDTA is formulated as: (HOOC.CH2)2 - N—CH2—CH2 — N ( CH2-COOH)2
Versense, represented as Na2H2V, forms soluble complex ions with Ca++ and Mg ++ ions:
Na2H2V 2Na+-1-1-12V”
H2Ve+Cal-F (CaV) + 2H+
The sample of water is made alkaline to a pH of 10 with NH4Cl and NH4OH and titrated for the total calcium and
magnesium with a standard solution or Versene (often standardized against a CaCl2 solution of known strength,
using Erichrome Black T as an indicator)—the color of the indicator changes from red to blue at the end point.
Na2H2V.2H20 may In. directly used as a primary standard.
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Chemistry of Wastewater - The 5 Stages of Chemical Analysis of Wastewater
Understanding the chemistry of wastewater through titration is necessary to identify certain types of pollutants,
especially metals and heavy metals. Such chemical analysis of wastewater is done in stages. In the paragraphs
below I have explained what these stages are.
1. Titrant
EthyleneDiamineTetraAcetic acid (N-CH2-CH2N) commonly known by its short form - EDTA is the most common
titrant used during titration to understand the chemistry of wastewater. The alternative
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (H4y) when used like an EDTA proves less soluble while the Tetraneutralized
solution (Na4Y) offers a highly alkaline solution as it is easily hydrolyzed. Hence a Hexadentate (Na2H2y), which is a
salt of the EDTA, is used as a titrant. It is obtained as a dehydrate of the Tetraacetic acid. It is a disodium salt
commonly known as Ethylenedinitrilo represented by the formula C10H14O8N2Na2.2H2O.
The chemical composition of the EDTA is HOOC.H2C -> CH2COOH with any one of the divalents Mg or Ca. This is a
chelated bonding.
2. Indicator
It is a substance that changes color to indicate completion of chelation with EDTA. When using the afore
mentioned process, at a pH of 10.0 + 0.1, either Mg or Ca reacts with the indicator. This reaction causes the
solution to change to a wine red color. If the solution already contains both Mg and Ca, and if the EDTA is added,
then it forms a EDTA chelate compound which is highly stable. During this reaction the EDTA consumes all of Mg
and Ca, resulting in the solution turning blue, as free indicators are released giving a good demonstration of the
chemistry of wastewater. Given below are the two reactions:
H2R + Ca^++ (blue) -> CaR + 2H^+ (wine red)
CaR + Na2H2y (EDTA salt) -> CaNa2y + H2R (Chelate - Blue)
3. Definite End Point
To bring the test to a definite end point, Mg ions should exist in the buffer. Hence to accomplish this, a little
quantity of Mg salt (EDTA) is added. This salt is complexometrically neutral. As the pH of this buffer solution
increases, it leads to a sharp end point. But a byproduct of this increasing pH is the precipitate that is either
Mg(OH)2 or Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). If the pH continues to increase further then a dye of yellowish orange
color is obtained.
4. CaCO3 Precipitation
If the titration process is allowed to continue long then it will result in CaCO3 being precipitated. Hence all steps
should be completed within a span of five minutes. Diluting the solution can weaken the concentration of CaCO3,
therefore it has to be diluted before the reagents are added to complete the titration.
5. Titration
Titrations are done to understand the chemistry of wastewater. But the indicators used in the titration are affected
by hot water. Hence it should always be done at room temperature.
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