Instrumentation AUTHOR: MICHAEL ROOT, p.23
Improvements in chemical instrumentation have been accelerating within the last few years, and many of the technology advances have been further enhanced by new or derivative methods. With innovative techniques that allow chemists to study the composition and reaction dynamics of more materials with greater efficiency, accuracy, and sensitivity, it's an exciting time for the field of chemistry.
There was a time when nearly all work in the field was done using so-called wet chemical processes, such as titrations for qualitative analysis of metal ions. Instrumental methods were often labor-intensive and time-consuming. But the convenience, speed, and versatility of chemical instrumentation today, especially with the addition of computer control and data handling, have facilitated a greater understanding of chemical systems.
For decades, analyzing for metal ions involved extraction with an acid, neutralization, addition of an indicator, and titration with a complexing agent like EDTA. Now, ...
