Volumetric estimation of potassium permanganate and potassium dichromate in mixtures with oxalic acid

Abstract

1. A simple method has now been developed for the volumetric estimation of potassium permanganate and potassium dichromate in mixtures The method consists in taking an aliquot volume of the mixture in an Erlenmeyer flask, adding sufficient quantities of sulphuric acid and manganous sulphate (catalyst) and titrating with a standard solution of sodium oxalate or oxalic acid run in from the burette, until the colour changes from orange-red to yellow. The oxalic acid run ingives a measure of the permanganate present in the mixture Then the mixture in the flask is titrated with a standard solution of Mohr's salt using diphenylbenzidine as indicator. The volume of Fe +2 solution run in the second stage gives a measure of the dichromate present in the original mixture. 2. The reverse titration does not give accurate results, because it is affected by the induced reaction between oxalic acid and dichromate which is induced by the reaction between oxalic acid and permanganate during the first stage of the reaction. This induced reaction has been studied in some detail.