[SEGi University]

[Chemical Engineering Laboratory #1]

SEGi University
Analysis of Aspirin
Candidate’s Name: Muzahid Latif Khatry
Student ID: SUKD1902597
Group Member’s Name:
Mohd Hasrulazmi
Salah Ahmed
Balqis Alihashim
Lecturer/ Supervisor: Ms. Nazlina Zubadli
Date of Submission: 12/03/2020
Abstract

The objective of this experiment is to determine the purity of aspirin by acid –base titrations.The
aspirin that we prepared before its not likely to be pure .The most likely impurities can be acids
either acetic or salicyclic.soo in order to know the purity of the acid we weigh out 0.5019 g of
aspirin that was prepared in the previous experiment to put into a cleam erlenmeyer flask,follwed
by adding 25mL of ethylalcohol to the flaskand make the aspirin dissolve,then adding two drops
of phenolphthalein in the mixture.The phenolphthalein is added to work as an indicator to change
the colour of the mixture during titration .As we know Titration is commonly known as
technique where a solution of known concentration is used to find concentration of another
solution until the reaction reaches neutralization.soo the sample of 0.1M NaOH was titrated to a
faint pink end point.The volume used was recorded.This volume of NaOH corresponds to that
which is required to neutralize all acids that was present in the sample that is impurities as well
as the acetylsalicyclic acid .After additional of 15ML of NaOH was added to mixture.The
mixture was then heated in water bath for 15 minutes at the temperature of 90oC to 95oC.The
flask was then cooled to room temperature with cold water.The initial volume of HCL and the
excess base with HCL was back titrated until the pink colour disapperared .To calculate Total
milimoles acid the formula used was;Milliliters NaOH x Molarity NaOH.The mllimoles of HCL
in back titration is 4.75mL.Milimoles of acetylsalicylic acid = 8.7mL .The purity that we got for
aspirin is 31.22%.

Introduction

The aspirin you may have prepared before is not likely to be pure. The most likely impurities are
acids, either acetic or salicylic. Even most commercial aspirin tablets are not 100%
acetylsalicylic acid. Most aspirin tablets contain a small amount of ‘binder’, which helps prevent
the tablets from crumbling. Even though the binder is chemically inert and was deliberately
added by the manufacturer, its presence means that aspirin tablets are not 100% acetylsalicylic
acid. Moreover, moisture can hydrolyze aspirin; thus, aspirin that is not kept dry can decompose.
You may be able to detect a vinegar-like odor in aspirin if it has been exposed to moisture for an
extended period of time. The hydrolysis product responsible for this odor is, in fact acetic acid. It
is formed in the following way;
 In this experiment, you will determine the purity of the aspirin you prepared. In
particular, you will determine the percentage of acetylsalicylic acid in the material you analyze.
The basis of the analysis utilizes acid-base titrations.

A titration is a process for determining the amount of analyte present in a solution by the
incremental addition of known volumes of a standard solution until the reaction between the
analyte and the titrant is judged to be complete. Occasionally, it is convenient or necessary to add
an excess of the titrant and then titrate the excess with another reagent. This process is called
back-titration. In this technique, a measured amount of the reagent, which would normally be the
titrant, is added to the sample so that there is a slight excess. After the reaction with the analyte is
allowed to go to completion, the amount of excess (unreacted) reagent is determined by titration
with another standard solution. Hence, by knowing the number of milimoles (mmol) of reagent
taken and measuring the number in excess, we can calculate the number of milimoles of analyte
by difference;

Milimoles reagent reacted = total milimoles – milimoles back-titrated

If no acidic impurities were present, you could determine the purity of the aspirin by titration
with a standardized base solution. However, if acid impurities are present, titration of the aspirin
will neutralize not only the acetylsalicylic acid but the acidic impurities as well. Thus, from such
a titration the total number of milimoles of acid present in the aspirin can be calculated by
measuring the volume of standard NaOH required to reach the phenolphthalein end point. The
total number of milimoles (mmol) of acid may be calculated according to equation;

Total milimoles acid = milliliters NaOH x molarity NaOH

 In order to determine the amount of acetylsalicylic acid present in your material, we will
take advantage of the fact that this substance will react with additional base reasonably rapidly at
elevated temperatures, according to:

This reaction represents what is termed a base-promoted hydrolysis or saponification of esters.

The reaction is the reverse of the esterification process. After you have neutralized all acidic
material in the aspirin, you will add a known excess amount of milimoles of base to cause this
reaction to occur. The excess base that is not consumed in the hydrolysis will be determined by a
back-titration with standard HCl. From these data you can calculate the grams of acetylsalicylic
acid in your material.

Apparatus
1. 500 mL burets(2)
2. 600 mL beaker
3. Water bath
4. Buret clamp
5. 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask(3)

Chemicals
1. Aspirin
 2. Phenolphthalein indicator
3. 95% ethyl alcohol
4. 0.1M HCL
5. 0.1M NaOH

Procedure

1. 0.5019g of Aspirin prepared in previous experiment was weighed into a clean and dry
Erlenmeyer flask.
2. 25 mL of etyhl alcohol was added to a flask and swirled the flask to dissolve the
aspirin.Two drops of phenolphthalein was added.
3. The sample was then titrated with 0.1M NaOH to a faint pink end point. The volume of
NaOH used was recorded.This volume of base corresponded to the one that required to
neutralize all acids that were present in the sample that the impurities as well as
acetylsalicylic acid.
4. 15 mL was added to the volume of base required in the previous titration.About this
volume of NaOH was added to the Erlenmeyer flask from the burret.
5. The mixture was heated for 15 minutes in a water bath at 900 to 950 C temperature to
hydrolyze the aspirin.The flask was swirled occasionally.
6. The flask was cooled to room temperature with cold tap water.
7. The initial volume of HCL was recorded and back titrated the excess base with HCL until
the pink colour disappeared.Volume of HCL was recorded.

RESULTS

Molarity of NaOH 0.1 M

Molarity of HCL 0.1 M
Mass of aspirin 0.5019 g
Volume of NaOH required to neutralize all acid material
Final reading 41.20 mL
Initial reading 0.00 mL
Volume of NaOH 41.20 mL
Milimoles of NaOH 4.12 .

Volume of NaOH used in hydrolysis

Final reading 56.20 mL
Initial reading 00.00 mL
Volume of NaOH 56.20 mL
Milimoles of NaOH 5.62 .

Volume of HCL in back titration

Final reading 47.50 mL
Initial reading 00.00 mL
Volume of HCL 47.50 mL
Millimoles of HCL 4.75 .

Milimoles of acetylsalicylic acid 0.87 .

Grams of acetylsalicylic acid in sample 0.1567 .
Purity of aspirin(%) 31.22% .

Millimoles Of NaOH used in hydrolysis= mXv

n NaOH=0.1 X 56.2
n NaOH = 5.62mL

Millimoles of HCL in back titration=mXv

n HCL =0.1X47.50
n HCL=4.75mL

Millimoles of acetylsalicyclic acid=Millimoles of NaOH used in hydrolysis-Millimoles of HCL

in back titration
=5.62-4.75
=0.87mL

Grams of acetylsalicylic acid in sample =

millimolesof acetylsalicyclic acid X molarmass of acetylsalicyclic

1000
0.87 X 180.158
g=
1000
g= 0.1567g

grams of acetylsalicyclic acid

Purity of aspirin = X 100 %
0.5019
Purity of aspirin=31.22%
Discussion
1.The melting point range for the acetylsalicylic acid is 144oC-172oC,It is because it contains
impurities.The theoretical yiels of aspirin is 2.628g,but the actual yield used was 0.5019g
.Therefore percentage yield of aspirin is 31.22%.
2.A back titration is used when the molar concentration of an excess reactant is known ,but the
need exists to determine the strength or concentration of an analyte.Aspirin is a weak acid that
also undergoes slow hydrolysis ie each aspirin molecule reacts with two hydroxide ions.To
overcome this problem,a known excess amount of base is added to the sample and a back
titration is carried out to determine the amount of unreacted base.

Conclusion

This experiment determined the amount of acetylsalicylic acid in an aspirin tablet.There might
be a difference of between the amount measured and the amount of the actual supports this
hypothesis. A variety of factors support the suitability of this experiment to measure the amount of
acetylsalicylic acid in a tablet: the reaction to create the colored chromophore proceeded to completion
(or near completion).In this experiment we got 31.22%purity of aspirin.

References

1.https://www.ck12org/chemistry(Date accessed:11/03/2020)

2.Zhou, Y. J.; Boudreau, D. M.; Freedman, A. N. Trends in the use of aspirin and nonsteroidal
antiinflammatory drugs in the general US population. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2014
(Date accessed ;11/03/2020)
3.White, J. and Holmes, R. CHEM 151/152 General Chemistry Laboratory Manual Azusa Pacific
University: Azusa, CA, 2013
(Date accessed:11/03/2020)