Status: Version effective from 01/01/2018.

Updated Ph. Eur. 9.3, effective 01/01/2018

Ammonium Carbonicum for Homoeopathic Preparations


General Notices

(Ph. Eur. monograph 2916)

Ph Eur

DEFINITION

Mixture of varying proportions of diammonium carbonate ((NH4)2CO3; Mr 96.1), ammonium hydrogen carbonate (NH4HCO3; Mr 79.1) and ammonium

carbamate (NH2COONH4; Mr 78.1).

Content

30.0 per cent to 37.0 per cent of NH3 (Mr 17.03).

CHARACTERS

Appearance

White or almost white, translucent masses or white or almost white, crystalline powder, with a strong smell of ammonia.

Solubility

Freely soluble in water, practically insoluble in ethanol (96 per cent).

IDENTIFICATION
A. Dissolve 1 g in water R and dilute to 20 mL with the same solvent. The solution is slightly alkaline (2.2.4).
B. It gives the reaction of carbonates and bicarbonates (2.3.1).
C. It gives the reaction of ammonium salts and salts of volatile bases (2.3.1).

TESTS

Solution S

Dissolve 10.0 g in 100 mL of distilled water R. Boil until the volume is reduced to about 10 mL. Verify that the emitted vapours no longer make barium
hydroxide solution R cloudy. Cool and dilute to 50 mL with distilled water R.

Appearance of solution

Solution S is clear (2.2.1) and colourless (2.2.2, Method I).

Chlorides (2.4.4)

Maximum 20 ppm.

Dissolve 2.5 g by gradually adding a mixture of 5 mL of nitric acid R and 10 mL of water R.

Sulfates (2.4.13)

Maximum 60 ppm, determined on solution S.

ASSAY

Dissolve 2.5 g in water R and dilute to 100 mL with the same solvent. To 10.0 mL of the solution add 10.0 mL of 1 M hydrochloric acid. Shake continuously
until the effervescence ceases. Add 40 mL of water R. Titrate the excess of acid with 1 M sodium hydroxide, determining the end-point potentiometrically
(2.2.20).

1 mL of 1 M hydrochloric acid is equivalent to 17.03 mg of NH3.

STORAGE

In an airtight container.

Ph Eur

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