this is the most sensitive procedure for the determination of formaldehyde. It has a wide versatility in qualitative and quantitative methods. Other aliphatic aldehydes react just as readily as formaldehyde with the reagent. The reagent in the procedure has to be pure. Otherwise, the presence of impurities such as 3methyl-2-benzothiazolone azine in the reagent can result in a final turbid solution. However, purification is readily accomplished (10).
ChromotropicAcid Procedure.This procedure is highly selective for formaldehyde; however, formaldehyde-releasing compounds, such as piperonylic acid, anisvl alcohol, and dextrose, also react. J Acid Procedures A and B. These procedures appear to be highly selective for formaldehyde. Formaldehyde-releasing compounds also react.Any compound that gives a color in sulfuric acid would interfere in the procedure. Very large amounts of aliphatic aldehydes interfere.Although these procedures are not so highly selective as the C and D procedures, they are somewhat more sensitive because of their low dilution factor.J Acid Procedures C and D. These procedures are highly selective for formaldehyde. Compounds containing combined formaldehyde will also react. These procedures are about twice as sensitive as the chromotropic acid method for equivalent dilution factors.Phenyl J Acid Procedure. This procedure is also highly selective for formaldehyde. Compounds containing combined formaldehyde can react.The sensitivity of this procedure is approximately two and one-half times that of the chromotropic acid procedure.