The nonaqueous,potentiometric titration of free hydrochloric acid in chloride-containing polymers

The thermal and/or catalytic degradation of chloride-containing polymers causes dehydrohalogenation which produces hydrochloric acid. A nonaqueous method has been developed for the termination of hydrochloric acid. The sample is dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and titrated potentiometrically with a standard tetrabutylammonium hydroxide solution in a 7.5% (V/V) aqueous tetrahydrofuran solution with a combination glass-calomel electrode. The method has a relative precision of ±3.7% at the 95% confidence limit and a sensitivity of 25 ppm HCI.