Reagents.—1. N/50 sodium carbonate. Dissolve 1.06 grams of anhydrous sodium carbonate in 1 liter of boiled distilled water that has been cooled in an atmosphere free from carbon dioxide. Preserve this solution in bottles of resistant glass protected from the air by tubes filled with soda-lime. One cc. is equivalent to 1 mg. of CaCO3.
2. N/22 sodium carbonate. Dissolve 2.41 grams of anhydrous sodium carbonate in 1 liter of boiled distilled water that has been cooled in an atmosphere free from carbon dioxide. Preserve this solution in bottles of resistant glass protected from the air by tubes filled with soda-lime. One cc. is equivalent to 1 mg. of CO2.
3. Phenolphthalein indicator (see p. [36]).
4. Methyl orange indicator (see p. [36]).
TOTAL ACIDITY.
Procedure.—Add 4 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to 50 or 100 cc. of the sample in a white porcelain casserole or an Erlenmeyer flask over a white surface. Add N/50 sodium carbonate until the solution turns pink. The total acidity in parts per million of calcium carbonate is equal to the number of cubic centimeters of N/50 sodium carbonate used multiplied by 20 if 50 cc. of the sample was used, or by 10 if 100 cc. was used.
FREE CARBON DIOXIDE.[[20]][[23]][[61]][[87]][[88]][[94a]][[118]]
Carbon dioxide may exist in water in three forms—free carbon dioxide, bicarbonate (pp. [37]–38), and carbonate (p. [38]). One-half the carbon dioxide as bicarbonate is known as the half-bound carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide as carbonate plus one-half that as bicarbonate is known as the bound carbon dioxide.
Procedure.—Pour 100 cc. of the sample into a tall narrow vessel, preferably a 100 cc. Nessler tube. Add 10 drops of phenolphthalein indicator, and titrate rapidly with N/22 sodium carbonate, stirring gently, until a faint but permanent pink color is produced. The free carbon dioxide (CO2) in parts per million is equal to 10 times the number of cubic centimeters of N/22 sodium carbonate used.
Because of the ease with which free carbon dioxide escapes from water, particularly when the gas is present in large amount, a special sample should be collected for this determination, which should preferably be made at the time of collection. If the analysis cannot be made at the time of collection approximate results with water not too high in free carbon dioxide may be obtained on samples collected in bottles completely filled so as to leave no air space under the stopper. Bottled samples should be kept, until tested, at a temperature lower than that of the water when collected. If mineral acids or certain salts are present correction must be made. At best, the results of the titration are uncertain because the proper end-point for correct results differs in color with different types of water.