A chromatographic determination of water in non-aqueous phases of solvent extraction systems

The disadvantages of the Karl Fischer method for the determination of water in the non-aqueous phases of solvent extraction systems are pointed out, and a gas chromatographic method is described which is claimed to be potentially capable of overcoming these disadvantages. The method, as described, was developed to satisfy conditions relevant to measurement of the transfer rate of water from an aqueous phase into tri-n-butylphosphate in toluene, but it can be used for water determination in other solvent extraction systems. The apparatus used is described in detail. The concentration of water in water-saturated TBP was found to be 3.56 mol/litre, compared with a value of 3.55 obtained by Karl Fischer titration and previous literature values of 3.59 and 3.57. Measurements of water content in benzene solutions of long chain alkylamines were also sucessfully carried out. (U.K.)