Estimation of Barium Sulfate (BaSO₄) by Gravimetric Analysis
Estimation of Barium Sulfate (BaSO₄) by Gravimetric Analysis involves precipitating Ba²⁺ as BaSO₄, filtering, drying, and weighing the insoluble precipitate to determine barium content.
Steps for Estimation of Barium Sulfate (BaSO₄) by Gravimetric Analysis:
Sample Preparation:
Weigh the sample containing barium ions (Ba²⁺) and dissolve in distilled water or dilute HCl.
Filter the solution to remove insoluble impurities.
Precipitation:
Add sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) to the solution.
Barium ions react with sulfate ions to form barium sulfate precipitate:
Ba2+(aq) + SO42−(aq) → BaSO4(s)
Digestion:
Let the precipitate settle, and optionally heat the solution to improve the precipitate’s purity and particle size.
Filtration:
Filter the precipitate using suitable filter paper or apparatus.
Washing and Drying:
Wash the precipitate with distilled water to remove contaminants.
Transfer the precipitate to a pre-weighed crucible and dry in an oven or desiccator.
Weighing:
Weigh the dried precipitate and subtract the weight of the empty crucible to obtain the mass of BaSO₄.
Calculation:
Calculate the percentage of barium using:
Ba = ((Mass of BaSO₄ × Molar mass of Ba) / (Weight of sample × Molar mass of BaSO₄)) × 100
This streamlined process ensures accurate determination of barium in the sample via gravimetric analysis.