AB-053
Determination of ammonium or Kjeldahl nitrogen
Summary
The potentiometric titration of Kjeldahl nitrogen is one of the most common analytic procedures. It is referenced in numerous standards, ranging from the food and animal feed industries through sewage and waste analysis and all the way to the fertilizer industry. As a rule, the samples are digested with concentrated sulfuric acid with the addition of a catalyst. The ammonium sulfate that is formed is distilled as ammonia in alkali solution, collected in an absorption solution and titrated there.
This Bulletin provides a detailed description of potentiometric nitrogen determination following distillation of the digestion solution, followed by a discussion of the possibilities of coulometric titration (without distillation).