SPECIAL ISSUE ON PH MEASUREMENTS IN RAINWATER - FOREWORD

In concrete preparation, the quality of water is paramount as it affects the strength and durability of the concrete. Potable water is usually preferred; however, it must not have excessive sodium or potassium to prevent compromising the concrete's integrity. Water quality is typically evaluated based on impurities such as dissolved solids, chlorides, and sulfates, and its pH value is ideally between 6 and 8. Even slightly acidic natural water may be acceptable unless it contains harmful...

Precipitation and coprecipitation methods can be used to separate a mixture of ions in a solution. In qualitative inorganic analysis, ions that form sparingly soluble precipitates with the same reagent are separated based on the differences in solubility products. For example, consider the separation of Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions by precipitation as insoluble sulfides. First, copper(II) sulfide is precipitated by the addition of acidic H2S, where the dissociation of H2S is suppressed. Adding H2S...

In argentometric precipitation titrations, endpoints can be detected visually by the Mohr, Volhard, and Fajans methods. In the Mohr method, adding a soluble chromate indicator gives an initial yellow color to the analyte solution. As the titrant is added, the first excess of silver ions forms a red silver chromate precipitate, marking the endpoint. The solution pH should be maintained at about 8 by adding solid CaCO3.
In the Volhard method, a standard excess of AgNO3 is first added to the...

Precipitation gravimetry is based on converting an analyte into a sparingly soluble precipitate, which is separated by filtration and weighed. An ideal precipitate should be pure, insoluble, of known composition, and easily filtered from the reaction mixture.
In determining nickel by gravimetric analysis, a precipitant of ethanolic dimethylglyoxime is added to a hot nickel salt solution. This is quickly followed by the dropwise addition of dilute ammonia solution until precipitation occurs. A...

When the quality of water for concrete preparation is uncertain, its impact on the setting time of cement and compressive strength of mortar is assessed by comparison with de-ionized or distilled water benchmarks. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C1602 requires the setting times to be within 90 minutes of the control, British Standard (BS) 3146:1980 allows a 30-minute variance in the initial setting, while British Standards European Norm (BS EN) 1008 specifies initial setting...

Gravimetric analysis is a quantitative method where the analyte is isolated and weighed directly or after conversion into a substance of known composition. Gravimetric analysis can be classified as precipitation, electrogravimetry, volatilization, and particulate gravimetry, based on the method used to isolate the analyte.
In precipitation gravimetry, the analyte is converted into a precipitate and weighed. For example, the silver content in a sample can be estimated by precipitating and...