Conditional formation constants or chemical speciation data?

Abstract

For decades conditional constants have been used by industry, in promotional literature and in patents, to assess the efficiency of a chelating agent in complexing a metal ion at a set pH. Speciation computer programs now permit the complete system to be modelled and to take into account interfering side reactions and variations in pH. This work compares conditional constant calculations with speciation modelling and shows that such modelling can produce a more efficient and accurate assessment of the power of a chelating agent. © 2001 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.