An Introductory Course of Quantitative Chemical Analysis by Henry P. Talbot (superbooks4u txt) 📕

In case of need, the ferricyanide can be purified by adding to its solution a little bromine water and recrystallizing the compound.

PROCEDURE.—Fill one burette with each of the solutions, observing the general procedure with respect to cleaning and rinsing already prescribed. The bichromate solution is preferably to be placed in a glass-stoppered burette.

Run out from a burette into a beaker of about 300 cc. capacity nearly 40 cc. of the ferrous solution, add 15 cc. of dilute hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1.12) and 150 cc. of water and run in the bichromate solution from another burette. Since both solutions are approximately tenth-normal, 35 cc. of the bichromate solution may be added without testing. Test at that point by removing a very small drop of the iron solution on the end of a stirring rod, mixing it with a drop of indicator on the tile (Note 1). If a blue precipitate appears at once, 0.5 cc. of the bichromate solution may be added before testing again. The stirring rod which has touched the indicator should be dipped in distilled water before returning it to the iron solution. As soon as the blue appears to be less intense, add the bichromate solution in small portions, finally a single drop at a time, until the point is reached at which no blue color appears after the lapse of thirty seconds from the time of mixing solution and indicator. At the close of the titration a large drop of the iron solution should be taken for the test. To determine the end-point beyond any question, as soon as the thirty seconds have elapsed remove another drop of the solution of the same size as that last taken and mix it with the indicator, placing it beside the last previous test. If this last previous test shows a blue tint in comparison with the fresh mixture, the end-point has not been reached; if no difference can be noted the reaction is complete. Should the end-point be overstepped, a little more of the ferrous solution may be added and the end-point definitely fixed.

From the volumes of the solutions used, after applying corrections for burette readings, and, if need be, for the temperature of solutions, calculate the value of the ferrous solution in terms of the oxidizing solution.

[Note 1: The accuracy of the work may be much impaired by the removal of unnecessarily large quantities of solution for the tests. At the beginning of the titration, while much ferrous iron is still present, the end of the stirring rod need only be moist with the solution; but at the close of the titration drops of considerable size may properly be taken for the final tests. The stirring rod should be washed to prevent transfer of indicator to the main solution. This cautious removal of solution does not seriously affect the accuracy of the determination, as it will be noted that the volume of the titrated solution is about 200 cc. and the portions removed are very small. Moreover, if the procedure is followed as prescribed, the concentration of unoxidized iron decreases very rapidly as the titration is carried out so that when the final tests are made, though large drops may be taken, the amount of ferrous iron is not sufficient to produce any appreciable error in results.

If the end-point is determined as prescribed, it can be as accurately fixed as that of other methods; and if a ferrous solution is at hand, the titration need consume hardly more time than that of the permanganate process to be described later on.]

!Selection of a Standard!

A substance which will serve satisfactorily as a standard for oxidizing solutions must possess certain specific properties: It must be of accurately known composition and definite in its behavior as a reducing agent, and it must be permanent against oxidation in the air, at least for considerable periods. Such standards may take the form of pure crystalline salts, such as ferrous ammonium sulphate, or may be in the form of iron wire or an iron ore of known iron content. It is not necessary that the standard should be of 100 per cent purity, provided the content of the active reducing agent is known and no interfering substances are present.

The two substances most commonly used as standards for a bichromate solution are ferrous ammonium sulphate and iron wire. A standard wire is to be purchased in the market which answers the purpose well, and its iron content may be determined for each lot purchased by a number of gravimetric determinations. It may best be preserved in jars containing calcium chloride, but this must not be allowed to come into contact with the wire. It should, however, even then be examined carefully for rust before use.

If pure ferrous ammonium sulphate is used as the standard, clear crystals only should be selected. It is perhaps even better to determine by gravimetric methods once for all the iron content of a large commercial sample which has been ground and well mixed. This salt is permanent over long periods if kept in stoppered containers.

PROCEDURE.—Weigh out two portions of iron wire of about 0.24-0.26 gram each, examining the wire carefully for rust. It should be handled and wiped with filter paper (not touched by the fingers), should be weighed on a watch-glass, and be bent in such a way as not to interfere with the movement of the balance.

Place 30 cc. of hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1.12) in each of two 300 cc. Erlenmeyer flasks, cover them with watch-glasses, and bring the acid just to boiling. Remove them from the flame and drop in the portions of wire, taking great care to avoid loss of liquid during solution. Boil for two or three minutes, keeping the flasks covered (Note 1), then wash the sides of the flasks and the watch-glass with a little water and add stannous chloride solution to the hot liquid !from a dropper! until the solution is colorless, but avoid more than a drop or two in excess (Note 2). Dilute with 150 cc. of water and cool !completely!. When cold, add rapidly about 30 cc. of mercuric chloride solution. Allow the solutions to stand about three minutes and then titrate without further delay (Note 3), add about 35 cc. of the standard solution at once and finish the titration as prescribed above, making use of the ferrous solution if the end-point should be passed.

From the corrected volumes of the bichromate solution required to oxidize the iron actually know to be present in the wire, calculate the relation of the standard solution to the normal.

Repeat the standardization until the results are concordant within at least two parts in one thousand.

[Note 1: The hydrochloric acid is added to the ferrous solution to insure the presence of at least sufficient free acid for the titration, as required by the equation on page 48.

The solution of the wire in hot acid and the short boiling insure the removal of compounds of hydrogen and carbon which are formed from the small amount of carbon in the iron. These might be acted upon by the bichromate if not expelled.]

[Note 2: It is plain that all the iron must be reduced to the ferrous condition before the titration begins, as some oxidation may have occurred from the oxygen of the air during solution. It is also evident that any excess of the agent used to reduce the iron must be removed; otherwise it will react with the bichromate added later.

The reagents available for the reduction of iron are stannous chloride, sulphurous acid, sulphureted hydrogen, and zinc; of these stannous chloride acts most readily, the completion of the reaction is most easily noted, and the excess of the reagent is most readily removed. The latter object is accomplished by oxidation to stannic chloride by means of mercuric chloride added in excess, as the mercuric salts have no effect upon ferrous iron or the bichromate. The reactions involved are:

2FeCl_{3} + SnCl_{2} —> 2FeCl_{2} + SnCl_{4} SnCl_{2} + 2HgCl_{2} —> SnCl_{4} + 2HgCl

The mercurous chloride is precipitated.

It is essential that the solution should be cold and that the stannous chloride should not be present in great excess, otherwise a secondary reaction takes place, resulting in the reduction of the mercurous chloride to metallic mercury:

SnCl_{2} + 2HgCl —> SnCl_{4} + 2Hg.

The occurrence of this secondary reaction is indicated by the darkening of the precipitate; and, since potassium bichromate oxidizes this mercury slowly, solutions in which it has been precipitated are worthless as iron determinations.]

[Note 3: The solution should be allowed to stand about three minutes after the addition of mercuric chloride to permit the complete deposition of mercurous chloride. It should then be titrated without delay to avoid possible reoxidation of the iron by the oxygen of the air.]

PROCEDURE.—Grind the mineral (Note 1) to a fine powder. Weigh out accurately two portions of about 0.5 gram (Note 2) into porcelain crucibles; heat these crucibles to dull redness for ten minutes, allow them to cool, and place them, with their contents, in beakers containing 30 cc. of dilute hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1.12). Heat at a temperature just below boiling until the undissolved residue is white or until solvent action has ceased. If the residue is white, or known to be free from iron, it may be neglected and need not be removed by filtration. If a dark residue remains, collect it on a filter, wash free from hydrochloric acid, and ignite the filter in a platinum crucible (Note 3). Mix the ash with five times its weight of sodium carbonate and heat to fusion; cool, and disintegrate the fused mass with boiling water in the crucible. Unite this solution and precipitate (if any) with the acid solution, taking care to avoid loss by effervescence. Wash out the crucible, heat the acid solution to boiling, add stannous chloride solution until it is colorless, avoiding a large excess (Note 4); cool, and when !cold!, add 40 cc. of mercuric chloride solution, dilute to 200 cc., and proceed with the titration as already described.

From the standardization data already obtained, and the known weight of the sample, calculate the percentage of iron (Fe) in the limonite.

[Note 1: Limonite is selected as a representative of iron ores in general. It is a native, hydrated oxide of iron. It frequently occurs in or near peat beds and contains more or less organic matter which, if brought into solution, would be acted upon by the potassium bichromate. This organic matter is destroyed by roasting. Since a high temperature tends to lessen the solubility of ferric oxide, the heat should not be raised above low redness.]

[Note 2: It is sometimes advantageous to dissolve a large portion—say 5 grams—and to take one tenth of it for titration. The sample will then represent more closely the average value of the ore.]

[Note 3: A platinum crucible may be used for the roasting of the limonite and must be used for the fusion of the residue. When used, it must not be allowed to remain in the acid solution of ferric chloride for any length of time, since the platinum is attacked and dissolved, and the platinic chloride is later reduced by the stannous chloride, and in the reduced condition reacts with the bichromate, thus introducing an error. It should also be noted that copper and antimony interfere with the determination of iron by the bichromate process.]

[Note 4: The quantity of stannous chloride required for the reduction of the iron in the limonite will be much larger than that added to the solution of iron wire, in which the iron was mainly already in the ferrous condition. It should, however, be added from a dropper to avoid an unnecessary excess.]

PROCEDURE.—Grind the chrome iron ore (Note 1) in an agate mortar until no grit is perceptible under the pestle. Weigh out two portions of 0.5 gram each into iron crucibles which have been scoured inside until bright (Note 2). Weigh out on a watch-glass (Note 3), using the rough balances, 5 grams of dry sodium peroxide for each portion, and pour about three quarters of the peroxide upon the ore. Mix ore and flux by thorough stirring with a dry glass rod. Then cover the mixture with the remainder of the peroxide. Place the crucible on a triangle and raise the temperature !slowly! to the melting point of the flux, using a low flame, and holding the lamp in the hand (Note 4). Maintain the fusion for five minutes, and stir constantly with a stout iron wire, but do not raise