When the pH value is low and the process is unknown, how can one determine whether it is caused by organic acids or inorganic acids?
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Our company received waste with a pH value of over 5; alkali was added for neutralization based on calculations, but the actual amount added turned out to be 10 times the amount calculated. Therefore, I suspect that it was the organic acids present in it that caused this. How to determine whether it is an organic acid or an inorganic acid at low pH values.
It has little to do with organic or inorganic acids; rather, it is a weak acid – its acidity isn’t strong, but its concentration is high. When an alkali is added, a buffer solution is formed, so the pH value rises slowly during neutralization, and a large amount of alkali is required. In this case, the amount of base required should not be calculated using pH value; rather, it should be determined based on the total acidity. The calculation method you used is incorrect.
The problem is that the reaction speed isn’t fast enough.
In reality, a slightly alkaline component makes up 99.97%, while the identity of the other components cannot be determined; the pH value is 5, and the actual neutralization amount is 10 times the calculated value. Is potentiometric titration more suitable for this?