Qualitative Wet Chemistry Analysis

The qualitative wet chemical analysis approach involves the use of changes in information that cannot be quantified to detect changes. This can include changes in color, odor, texture, etc. Qualitative wet chemical analysis seeks to understand what is present - the properties of unknown substances. These determination are not always routine and can be very complex. Using a combination of carefully selected instruments and wet testing methods, BOC Sciences enables the determination of the physical and chemical properties of an analyte as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Our Services

At BOC Sciences, our trained chemist can identify a wide range of elements, compounds and mixtures by using multiple wet chemical qualitative analytical techniques.

Inorganic Qualitative Analysis

Our scientific staffs have a good knowledge of all the reactions in which an anion or a cation may be involved. In addition, our chemists have acquired good manual skills to design different methods to identify the analytes depending on the different chemical/physical properties.

Organic Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative analysis of organics requires comprehensive knowledge of a large number of chemical reaction types, as well as a general understanding of a wide range of instrumentation. We can perform test for alcohols, carboxylic acids, alkenes, and so on.

Figure 2. Steps involved in the "wet chemistry" isolation and purification. (Ethan R; et al. 2013)

Our Capabilities

Chemical Testing

Chemical testing uses reagents to indicate the presence or absence of specific chemicals in an unknown solution. Based on the unique reactions caused by chemicals that react with different reagents, our experts are able to determine what chemicals are present in the solution being tested. The flame test is one of the better known versions of the chemical test, which only applies to metal ions. Metal powders are burned, producing different colors depending on the metal being burned. For example, calcium (Ca) will burn orange and copper (Cu) will burn blue. Their color emission is used to produce bright colors in fireworks.

Classical Qualitative Techniques

• Separation Techniques
• Precipitation method

Precipitation is a weight-based method that uses the reactants and products of a chemical reaction to analyze a substance. Metal ions of many elements may react with negative ions to form a new insoluble substance called a precipitate that settles at the bottom of the solution. This precipitate is filtered out and washed. The mass of the precipitated solid is entered into the relevant chemical equation to calculate the total or relative amount (concentration) of the ionic compound in solution.

• Extraction method

Extraction is the process of removing a substance from a matrix, both in two immiscible phases. A classic example is the extraction of an organic compound from the aqueous phase into the organic phase. At BOC Sciences, the most commonly used technique for extracting compounds from aqueous solutions is liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). The movement of the solute is based on the equilibrium conditions of the two phases, as described by partition theory. Solid phase extraction (SPE) is another widely applied sample preparation approach for the separation and enrichment of purified components from aqueous solutions.

• Distillation method

Distillation is a process of evaporation and condensation by which a component is separated from a liquid mixture. It is based on the difference in boiling point or volatility between the various substances present in the mixture.

• Identification Techniques
• Color
• Odor
• Melting and boiling points
• Volatility
• Radioactivity
• Reactivity
• Bubble production
• Precipitation