Source of the Difference between the Measurement of Water in Hydrocarbons As Determined by the Volumetric and Coulometric Karl Fischer Methods.

The disparity between the volumetric and coulometric Karl Fischer methods for the measurement of water in hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon mixtures (oils) has been resolved. The amount of water detected by the volumetric method when the titration vessel solution is homogeneous is higher than that measured coulometrically or volumetrically when the titration vessel solution is heterogeneous. Water in oil that is not measured by the coulometric method when the oil is incompletely dissolved has been shown to reside in the oil phase of the heterogeneous (multiphasic) coulometric vessel suspension. Water that is not measured volumetrically under relatively low chloroform concentrations after the point of transition to a heterogeneous titration vessel solution is reached also appears to reside in the nonaqueous phase of the titration vessel solution. It appears that this water is retained in the hydrocarbon phase in a manner such that it is completely inaccessible to the volumetric or coulometric Karl Fischer reagents.