Karl Fischer Titration

The Karl Fischer titration is used in many different ways following its publication in 1935 and further applications are continually being explored. At the present time we are experiencing another phase of expansion, as shown by the development of new titration equipment and new reagents. KF equipment increasingly incorporates microprocessors which enable the course of a titration to be programmed thus sim­ plifying the titration. Coulometric titrators allow water determinations in the micro­ gram-range: the KF titration has become a micro-method. The new pyridine-free re­ agents make its application significantly more pleasant and open up further possibili­ ties on account of their accuracy. To make the approach to Karl Fischer titrations easier, we have summarized the present knowledge in this monograph and we have complemented it with our own studies and practical experience. As this book should remain "readable", we have tried to keep the fundamentals to a minimum. Historical developments are only mentioned if they seem to be necessary for understanding the KF reaction. The ap­ plications are described more fully. Specific details which may interest a particular reader can be found in the original publications cited. The referenced literature is in chronological order as the year of publication may also prove informative. Thus, [6902] for example denotes 69 for 1969 being the year of publication and 02 is a non-recurring progressive number. The referenced litera­ ture includes summaries which we hope will be of help to find the "right" publica­ tion easily.