RFIS

1. Dissolve in 50 mL of dilute nitric acid.

- The solution must be acidulated with nitric acid to prevent the hydrolysis which ferric salts
undergo in neutral solution (Knevel, A and DiGangi F, 1977)
2. Add 1 mL of ferric nitrate solution
- Ferric alum or ferric nitrate is used as an internal indicator in acidic medium. It reacts at the
endpoint of the titrations with slight excess of thiocyanate solution producing a red coloration in the
action mixture due to the formation of ferric thiocyanate. (Sawhney, 1995)
3. Titrate with 0.1N ammonium thiocyanate
- When all the metallic ion has been precipitated as thiocyanate, the ammonium thiocyanate
reacts with the ferric nitrate solution indicator to form red ferric thiocyanate, marking the endpoint of
titration.(Knevel A, and DiGangi F, 1977)
4. Adequate shaking of titration mixture
- A red color is produced as the endpoint approaches which disappears slowly upon shaking,
at the endpoint a drop of ammonium thiocyanate solution produces a permanent reddish-brown
color which does not disappear on shaking. (Sawhney, 1995)
5. Titrations must be performed below 25 degree celsius
- The color of ferric thiocyanate complex fades at high temperature (Mata, 2018)
6. Direct titration method
- Compounds of silver and mercury that can be readily converted into soluble silver or mercury
salts, respectively may be estimated by direct titration with standard ammonium thiocyanate
solution using ferric ammonium sulfate or ferric nitrate solution as indicator. the method is based on
the quantitative precipitation of corresponding thiocyanate. example; Hg (NO3)2 + 2NH$SCN
———— Hg(SCN)2 + 2NH4NO3. (Knevel A, DiGangi F, 1977)