POTENTIOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF FLUORIDE IN SOLIDS

It is necessary for the determination of fluoride by means of the fiuoride-sensitive electrode to dissolve the solids and to separate fluoride from interfering substances. This can be done best as hydrogen fluoride by means of the approved steamdistillation with the aid of perchloric acid. 0.006 M AlCl3/20% NaNO3 of pH 3 was used as liquid for the absorption. The capacity of absorption was determined and the equilibria of the complexes present in this solution were calculated at various pH values. The same solution can also be recommended for absorption of fluoride from air. As recently described, the potentiometric determination of fluoride can also be done in presence of aluminium ions with the addition of Tiron. The range of determination is extended so far, that dilution of the solid sample by grinding with inert material is not necessary any more. The direct wet dissolution of solids by aluminium solutions worked very slowly and was not quantitative. Hence, distillation cannot be avoided. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.