Simple, expedient methods for the determination of water and electrolyte contents of cellulose solvent systems

The concentrations of water, W, and electrolytes present in solutions of LiCl in N,N-dimethylacetamide, LiCl/DMAc, and of tetrabutylammonium fluoride. x-hydrate in DMSO, TBAF.xW/DMSO can be accurately and expediently determined by three independent methods, UV–vis, FTIR and EMF measurement. The first relies on the use of solvatochromic probes whose spectra are sensitive to solution composition. It is applicable to W/LiCl/DMAc solutions but not to TBAF.xW/DMSO, because the charge-transfer complex bands of the probes are suppressed by strong interactions with the latter electrolyte. Integration of ν_OH band of water may be employed in order to determine [W], hence [electrolyte] by weight difference. EMF measurement uses ion-selective electrodes in order to determine [electrolyte], hence [W] by weight difference. Results of the latter method were in excellent agreement with those of FTIR. The reason for the failure of Karl Fischer titration is addressed, and the relevance of the results obtained to functionalization of cellulose under homogenous solution conditions is briefly commented on.     

An automated FTIR method for the routine quantitative determination of moisture in lubricants: An alternative to Karl Fischer titration

An accurate primary Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) method for the determination of moisture in mineral and ester based lubricants has been developed based on the extraction of moisture into dry acetonitrile. FTIR evaluation of acetonitrile extracts from new and used lubricants as well as common lubricant additives and contaminants which might co-extract indicated that phenolic constituents interfered significantly with moisture measurements. By measuring moisture at 3676 cm⁻¹ on the shoulder of the asymmetric OH stretching band, spectral interferences from extracted phenolic constituents were minimized. The spectra of calibration standards (0-2100 ppm), prepared by gravimetric addition of water to dry acetonitrile, were recorded in a 1000-μm CaF₂ transmission flow cell and produced linear standard curves having an S.D. of ∼±20 ppm. Lubricant sample preparation involved the vigorous shaking (20 min) of a 1:1.5 (w/v) mixture of lubricant and dry acetonitrile, centrifugation to separate the phases, acquisition of the FTIR spectrum of the upper acetonitrile layer, and subtraction of the spectrum of the dry acetonitrile used for extraction. A Continuous Oil Analyzer and Treatment (COAT^®) FTIR system was programmed to allow the automated analysis of acetonitrile extracts, and the methodology was validated by analyzing 58 new and used oils, independently analyzed by the Karl Fischer (KF) method. Linear regression of FTIR versus KF results for these oils produced a linear plot with a between-method S.D. of ±80 ppm. As implemented on the COAT^® system, this FTIR method is capable of analyzing 72 acetonitrile extracts/h and provides a high-speed alternative to the KF titrimetric procedures for the determination of water in lubricants.     

Solvatochromic Solvent Polarity Measurements In Analytical Chemistry: Synthesiss And Applications Of Et-30

Abstract

The E_T(30) scale of solvent polarity has been shown to be useful in examining many diverse analytical processes. It is based on the charge transfer absorption of 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-N-pyridinio)phenolate (referred to as ET-30 in this paper). Unfortunately, use of the E_T(30) scale has been hindered by (a) the lack of a commercial source of the ET-30 dye and (b) the lack of an English language synthetic procedure. Here we discuss recent applications of the E_T(30) scale to analytical techniques, as well as a simplified procedure for the synthesis of ET-30.     

Cathodic Stripping Determination of Water in Organic Solvents

A cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) method has been developed to determine water content in organic solvents based on electrooxidation of a gold electrode in the presence of water to form gold oxides upon anodic polarizations. Following cathodic potential scan, a sharp reductive stripping peak of gold oxides is generated and the magnitude of the peak current is related to the water content in the organic solvents. The method has been applied for determination of water in four commonly used water miscible organic solvents, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, acetone and glacial acetic acid, with limits of detection of 60, 10, 40 and 10 ppm, respectively.     

Karl Fischer-Reagentien ohne Pyridin

Zusammenfassung Karl Fischer-Reagentien, die SO₂ und Amin im üblichen Molverhältnis 12 enthalten, können nur mit Pyridin hergestellt werden. Stark basische Amine bewirken eine rasche Zersetzung der Reagenslösung und einen instabilen Endpunkt. Erhöht man den SO₂-Anteil soweit, daß das Molverhältnis SO₂Amin mindestens 11 ist, geben auch stark basische Amine hervorragende KF-Reagentien. Sie zeichnen sich durch stabile Endpunkte und hohe Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit aus. Besonders vorteilhaft ist die Anwendung als Zweikomponentenreagens, da beide Komponenten absolut lagerstabil und titerkonstant sind.

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Karl Fischer Reagents without pyridine

Summary Karl Fischer-Reagents containing SO₂ and amine in the normally applied molar ratio of 12 can be prepared only by using pyridine. Strong basic amines lead to a rapid decomposition of the reagent solution and to an instable endpoint. By raising the SO₂-content to a molar ratio SO₂amine of 11, even strong basic amines can be applied yielding KF-reagents of superior quality. They are characterized by stable endpoints and a high speed of reaction. Application as a two-solution reagent gives an additional advantage, because the single components are absolutely stable for storage and the titre remains constant.

     

Stoichiometric determination of moisture in edible oils by Mid-FTIR spectroscopy

A simple and accurate method for the determination of moisture in edible oils by differential FTIR spectroscopy has been devised based on the stoichiometric reaction of the moisture in oil with toluenesulfonyl isocyanate (TSI) to produce CO₂. Calibration standards were devised by gravimetrically spiking dry dioxane with water, followed by the addition of neat TSI and examination of the differential spectra relative to the dry dioxane. In the method, CO₂ peak area changes are measured at 2335 cm⁻¹ and were shown to be related to the amount of moisture added, with any CO₂ inherent to residual moisture in the dry dioxane subtracted ratioed out. CO₂ volatility issues were determined to be minimal, with the overall SD of dioxane calibrations being ∼18 ppm over a range of 0–1000 ppm. Gravimetrically blended dry and water-saturated oils analysed in a similar manner produced linear CO₂ responses with SD's of <15 ppm on average. One set of dry–wet blends was analysed in duplicate by FTIR and by two independent laboratories using coulometric Karl Fischer (KF) procedures. All 3 methods produced highly linear moisture relationships with SD's of 7, 16 and 28 ppm, respectively over a range of 200–1500 ppm. Although the absolute moisture values obtained by each method did not exactly coincide, each tracked the expected moisture changes proportionately. The FTIR_TSI-H2O method provides a simple and accurate instrumental means of determining moisture in oils rivaling the accuracy and specificity of standard KF procedures and has the potential to be automated. It could also be applied to other hydrophobic matrices and possibly evolve into a more generalized method, if combined with polar aprotic solvent extraction.     

Assessment of limits of detection and quantitation using calculation of uncertainty in a new method for water determination

 An approach to the assessment of the limit of detection and the limit of quantitation using uncertainty calculation is discussed. The approach is based on the known evaluation of the limits of detection and quantitation as concentrations of the analyte equal to three and ten standard deviations of the blank response, respectively. It is shown that these values can be calculated as the analyte concentrations, for which relative expanded uncertainty achieves 66% and 20% of possible results of the analyte determination, correspondingly. For example, the calculation is performed for the validation of a new method for water determination in the presence of ene-diols or thiols, developed for analysis of chemical products, drugs or other materials which are unsuitable for direct Karl Fischer titration. A good conformity between calculated values and experimental validation data is observed. Received: 27 July 1998 · Accepted: 29 November 1998