Abstract 020
Microcomputer Automation of Titration
J. Amer. Soc. Brew. Chem. 42: 29-36, 1984
K.J. Siebert
A general-purpose microcomputer was used to automate titrations in which the endpoint is sensed by observation of a color change. Uniform increments of titrant were employed, and the first derivative of the titration curve was calculated. A curve-fitting and smoothing technique was used to determine the endpoint. The same titration approach can be applied to many other titrimetric methods, including those in which various kinds of electrodes are used. The procedure was applied to the detn. of total acidity in beer. Endpoint sensing by microcomputer gave results slightly higher than those obtained by the manual method. Changing the indicator for the computer titration from phenolphthalein to cresol red brought the results of the methods into close agreement. The computer titration was shown to be similar in linearity, accuracy, precision, and titration speed to the manual procedure, and sample throughput was faster.
Back to K.J. Siebert home page | Back to publication list