A monosegmented-flow Karl Fischer titrator

A monosegmented volumetric Karl Fischer titrator is described to mechanize the determination of water content in organic solvents. The system is based on the flow-batch characteristics of the monosegmented analysis concept and employs biamperometry to monitor the progress of the titration. The system shows accuracy and precision that are highly independent of the flow rate, does not require calibration, and is carried out in a closed system capable of minimizing contact of the sample and reagents with ambient moisture. Sample volumes in the range of 40–300 μL are employed, depending on the water concentration. An automatic dilution is provided to deal with concentrated samples. The consumption of Karl Fischer reagent depends on the water content of the sample but is not larger than 100 μL. The system was evaluated for determination of water in ethanol and methanol in the range 0.02–0.5% (w/w). The average relative precision estimated in that range (9–3%) is comparable to that obtained with a larger volume commercial system and no significant difference was observed between the results obtained for the two systems at the 95% confidence level. A complete titration can be performed in less than 5 min employing the proposed system.