Titration is one of the most common types of quantitative analysis performed in chemistry. While several individuals contributed to its development, titration as a method and complete setup is largely credited to the French chemist François Antoine Henri Descroizilles.
He created the first burette in 1791 and was the first known chemist to assemble a titration apparatus, although not in the same form as we know it today. Other key scientists who contributed to the invention of titration include Karl Friedrich Mohr, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, and Étienne Ossian Henry.
Continue reading to learn more about the origins of titration and its role in modern chemistry.
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What is titration?
Titration is a quantitative method of measuring the molar concentration of an analyte (the solution being identified). During a titration experiment, a solution of known concentration (a titrant) is slowly added to the analyte sample until a certain level of reaction occurs.
Titration is a form of volumetric analysis. At the end of the experiment, the volume of the remaining titrant is compared to a standard balanced reaction with the analyte. This enables you to work out exactly how much of the titrant reacted with the sample analyte. From this, you can then calculate the concentration of the analyte.
Volumetric titration is typically performed between acids and bases, as well as oxidation and reduction agents. The opposite chemical properties of reactants lead to an endpoint wherein the reactants are ‘neutralised’.
Titration experiments don’t require complicated apparatus; you simply need a graduated burette with a stopcock, a metal support stand, a burette clamp, a funnel, a flask or beaker, and a chemical indicator. You can learn more about how to carry out a titration experiment here.
Who invented titration?
Many scientists contributed to the development of titration as we know it today. However, François Antoine Henri Descroizilles is normally credited with inventing titration because he developed the first burette in 1791. As we’ve already explained, a burette is a vital instrument that’s used to perform titration experiments.
More than three decades later, in 1824, fellow French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac made some improvements to the burette. He added a side arm and coined the words ‘pipette’ and ‘burette’ in a research paper discussing how to standardise indigo solutions.
Another chemist, Étienne Ossian Henry, later invented the first true burette in 1845.
The origins of titration
Although titration was invented in the late eighteenth century, the term itself can actually be traced back to 1543. It originates from the French word ‘titrer’, which means the quantity of gold or silver in an item.
As a method in analytical chemistry, titration relies on the volumetric analysis of the reactants and products. It stems from the old ways of measuring the concentrations of precious metals like gold and silver in alloys.
In 1828, Gay-Lussac used the word to mean determining the “concentration of a particular substance in a given sample”.
François-Antoine-Henri Descroizilles
Francois Antoine Henri Descroizilles is credited with the invention of volumetric analysis or titration in 1795. He was the first known scientist who assembled a titration apparatus, albeit not in its current form.
Karl Friedrich Mohr
It was a German chemist by the name of Karl Friedrich Mohr who popularised the method of volumetric analysis. He redesigned the burette, making it simpler and more convenient to use.
In 1855, he wrote the first textbook on analytical chemistry using titration methods. The title of the book in German is Lehrbuch Der Chemisch-analytischen Titriermethode, which translates in English as the Textbook Of Analytical Chemistry Titration Methods.
Titration in modern chemistry
Titration still plays an essential role in modern analytical chemistry and has a wide variety of industrial applications.
In the food industry, for example, titration is commonly used to analyse the precise amount of food additives and nutrients that need to be added to processed food products. It can also be used to analyse the purity of substances for quality control purposes.
Depending on the reactants and products involved, titration can be classified into four types:
- Acid-base titrations – a method of analysing the concentrations of bases or acids by gradually reacting them with standard solutions. It uses a pH metre or indicator to determine the endpoint of the reactions.
- Redox titrations – otherwise known as oxidation-reduction reactions, this type of titration involves the transfer of electrons in the reacting ions in aqueous solutions. They are named after their respective reagents – permanganate titrations, dichromate titrations, and iodimetric and iodometric titrations.
- Precipitation titrations – the endpoint of these titration reactions is determined by the formation of insoluble precipitates. For example, the precipitate silver chloride is formed when silver nitrate reacts with a solution of sodium chloride.
- Complexometric titrations – in these titrations, the endpoint is reached when undissociated complexes are formed at an equivalence point. Co-precipitations are formed, making it more accurate than precipitation titration. A reagent known as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is commonly used for this type of precipitation. This reagent readily forms complexes with metals.
Titration in industrial applications
Titration has several industrial applications and uses in the real world. It’s commonly used to manufacture a variety of goods including textile and apparel products, petroleum, electronics and machinery. It’s particularly useful in the pharmaceutical industry, where it can help experts determine the correct balance of medicine formulas.
Soap manufacturing is another sector that relies on titration experiments to calculate the precise quantity of ingredients needed to mass-produce different varieties of soaps. Titration also plays an important role in the chemical manufacturing industry and is essential to product development, testing and quality control.
Titration in analytical chemistry
Titration is a useful analytical tool that allows experts to determine the concentration of an unknown solution. It can be used for quality control purposes, as well as forensic and diagnostic laboratory analyses. In analytical chemistry, titration experiments are often performed to test the purity of a particular substance.
How titration influences ReAgent’s services
As a leading UK chemical manufacturing company, titration plays an important role in the work we do here at ReAgent. It helps us to guarantee a high level of precision and accuracy when making chemical products, while also ensuring goods meet clients’ specifications exactly.
