CH 2212

Potentiometric Titration of Acidic and Basic Compounds

in Household Cleaners
Spring 2010

Common household cleaners generally contain one or two acids or
bases.The acid components are used for the removal of alkaline scale
deposits andstains, particularly from iron. The acidic compounds in
household cleaners usually include hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid,
sodium bisulfate or hydroxyacetic acid.
Introduction

The weaker base components cut grease while the strong bases and
oxidizing agents serve to dissolve animal matter such as hair, grease, and
food stuffs. The basic compounds in household cleaners usually include
ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, sodium
carbonate or sodium sesquicarbonate.

The concentration of these components can be determined from the
endpoints on a potentiometric titration curve. Other ingredients such as
foaming agents, detergents, coloring, etc., do not interfere with the
potentiometric acid-base reactions.

You will be randomly assigned into groups of three or four. Each group is
to function as an independent testing laboratory.
Each group (lab) will have one bench and one hood for its exclusive use.
This group has sole responsibility for cleaning up the assigned bench
andhood at the end of each lab period.

Prior to the start of any laboratory work, a complete safety plan must be
formulated, written and submitted for approval. This should be done in a
more formal manner than the safety sheets used for other lab, that is written
in some detail. Since it takes time to evaluate each lab's safety plan, do not
expect to submit it at the beginning of a lab period and start working
immediately. The safety plan should be submitted a day prior to the
anticipated start of lab work (at the latest).You can send them to your TA
through email.
Safety

The safety plan should address:
Storage/handling/disposal of samples and reagents
Cleanup of spills
Use of balances
Personal protection needed
Procedures to follow in case of exposure to hazardous chemicals
Where operations involving undiluted samples will be performed

Your testing laboratory is expected to provide quantitative results that are
within 2 percent of the true value. Assume a 95% confidence interval.
AQA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) protocol should be formulated
and prior to the start of careful laboratory work.Chapter 5 of Harris should
be consulted for more detail on formulating a QA/QC protocol.(Some
preliminary testing will likely be needed to establish rough concentrations,
etc. The method development phase should also precedeformulation of a
final QA/QC protocol.)
Quality Control

Your QA/QC protocol should address:
Do you need to calibrate your balance?
Do you need to calibrate your volumetric glassware?
How are you going to evaluate analytical precision?
Calibration of pH meters
Method of calculating the 95% confidence interval
Measurement of precision of each step in the analysis
Calculation of overall method standard deviation
Calculation of the number of experimental results needed to report
your answer to 2% with 95% certainty

Your group (lab) is to devise the entire procedure to identify and quantitate
the acid or base components of the household cleaning products provided.
Method Development

The requirements are few:
Your quantitative results must be based on potentiometric titrations
using the pH meters supplied.
Weighing of primary standards on the analytical balances must be
done by the "weighing by difference" method.
You cannot use the Internet as the sole source of your method.
Anymethod proposed must be based on reports in the peer-reviewed
literature. These sources will be required in the final report
(seebelow).
While results, calculations, observations, etc. will be recorded in the
notebook of the responsible individual, a summary of each days
work should be recorded in a single group notebook. This summary
should have the same format as the summaries you are already used
to doing in previous experiments. All members of the group should
sign the daily summary. Preparation and submission of these daily
summariesis to be the responsibility of the lab manager for the group.
There will likely be a "inter-laboratory quality assurance sample"
given to each of the labs after your procedures are established. The
results for each"lab" will be posted so that you can compare your
method/technique to the other "labs".

Turn in (due on April 9
th
) a hard-copy report detailing your method and
stating your results. This should be a formal report using the standard ACS
article format (Introduction, Experimental,Results, Discussion, Conclusion,
References) details on writing in this format can be found on the course
website. Report all raw data andjustify your results by indicating all
statistical evaluations performed. All data tables, charts and graphs should
be amenable to electronic publishing (see below).
Written Report

Append a copy of the title page of each source article from the peer-
reviewed literature.

In addition, turn in a digital copy of your report. Conversion of the whole
report to .pdf format is desired.

Turn in the group notebook.