EXPERIMENT NO.

6
Assay of Sodium Cyanide (Old)
I. Principle Involved
The assay of sodium cyanide in the old USP involves a direct argentometric
titration. The titrant used is 0.1 N Silver Nitrate
The assay involves a precipitation reaction. The first precipitation reaction would
be between silver ions of silver nitrate and the iodide ions of potassium iodide which
will form silver iodide. The Second precipitation reaction would be between silver
ions of silver nitrate and cyanide of sodium cyanide which will form silver cyanide.
Potassium iodide is used as an indicator in the assay. The solution which
contains the analyte is indicator is; titrate to first turbidity of AgI. The reaction
between potassium iodide and silver nitrate, which produces a turbid solution due to
the precipitation of silver iodide, will serves an indicator that the endpoint is near.
The endpoint would be the precipitation of silver cyanide.

II. Official Requirement

It contains not less than 95% of NaCN (49.01).
III. Assay Procedure
Dissolve about 0.45 Gm. of Sodium Cyanide, accurately weighed, in 25 mils of
distilled water, add 4 mils of ammonia water, 3 drops of potassium iodide TS and
titrate with tenth-normal silver nitrate VS to the production of permanent precipitate. It
shows not less than 95 per cent of NaCN. Each mil of tenth-normal silver nitrate
used corresponds to 0.009802 Gm. of NaCN. Each gramme of Sodium Cyanide
corresponds to not less than 96.9 mils of tenth-normal silver nitrate VS.

IV. Reasons for important Steps

1. Ammonia Water
Ammonia water is added to increase the solubility of sodium cyanide since it is
only
2. Potassium Iodide
In order to determine the end point of the titration, the aqueous sample is mixed
with a basic solution of potassium iodide before the titration. Before the
equivalence point, cyanide is in excess, and all the AgI is complexed. As soon as
all the cyanide has been reacted, the first excess of AgI causes a permanent
turbidity to appear in the solution because of the formation of the AgI precipitate
according to

(Skoog, 407)
The titration continues until the iodide is nearly all titrated and the [Ag+] reaches
a value in which the Ksp of Ag(CN)2 is reached. Henceforth the precipitation
(Christian, 376)
3. Silver Nitrate
Silver Nitrate VS is used as a titrant in the assay since it is used to determine
halogens. Cyanide, which is being analyzed in the assay, is commonly
determined by titration with AgNO3. The titration reaction is

This method involves the formation of soluble Ag(CN)2

(Skoog, 407)