Automatic potentiometric titration of thiocyanate-cyanide mixtures in hydrometallurgical effluents

Abstract

Mixtures of cyanide and thiocyanate in hydrometallurgical effluents heavily clouded with particulates are titrated quickly and successfully with silver nitrate solution by using a potentiometric automatic titrator fitted with a silver working electrode and a glass reference electrode. When thiocyanate is to be determined, cyanide is masked with formalin. Titrations over a wide range of concentration and ratio of the two species require minimum pre-treatment of the samples and give sharp end-points and good replication.