A reagent composition for a Karl Fischer titration includes (1) sulfur dioxide or a derivative thereof, (2) a derivative of imidazole, (3) an alcohol, and (4) at least one amino acid that is present in an amount that is greater than zero and up to about 10 weight percent based on a total weight of the reagent composition. Moreover, a molar ratio of the derivative of imidazole to the sulfur dioxide or derivative thereof is greater than 1:1. Iodine is optionally included in a one-component reagent and excluded in a two-component reagent. This disclosure further provides a method for determining an amount of water in a sample via Karl Fischer titration. The method includes the step of providing the sample, providing the reagent composition, which optionally includes the iodine (I.sub.2), and titrating the sample with the reagent composition.

A method of measuring a quantity of moisture in an electrode includes at least three steps as follows: disposing an electrode, which is a measurement target sample, inside a container provided with a gas introduction pipe and a gas discharge pipe; heating the electrode by supplying inert gas heated to a predetermined temperature in advance to the inside of the container through the gas introduction pipe, and vaporizing moisture adsorbed to the electrode; and collecting the moisture vaporized from the electrode, together with the inert gas through the gas discharge pipe and determining the quantity of the collected moisture. In addition, a moisture quantity measuring apparatus includes a container that has a gas introduction pipe and a gas discharge pipe, a heating unit, and a moisture quantity measuring unit that collects moisture vaporized from a sample, through the gas discharge pipe and determines the quantity of collected moisture.

In one aspect, methods of sensing are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of sensing includes disposing a fluorophore in a biological environment, wherein the fluorophore includes a dioxo-pyridine ring (DPR) or a thiazolopyridine acid (TPA). The method further includes exposing the biological environment to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength corresponding to an excitation wavelength of the fluorophore, detecting light emitted by the fluorophore, and correlating the light emitted by the fluorophore to a presence or absence of an analyte within the biological environment in an amount above a minimum detection threshold. The presence of the analyte can increase or decrease the amount of light emitted by the fluorophore. The presence of the analyte may also shift the peak emission wavelength or alter the fluorescence lifetime of the fluorophore. The analyte, in some embodiments, includes hydrogen ions, halide ions, and/or halogens.

In one aspect, methods of sensing are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of sensing includes disposing a fluorophore in a biological environment, wherein the fluorophore includes a dioxo-pyridine ring (DPR) or a thiazolopyridine acid (TPA). The method further includes exposing the biological environment to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength corresponding to an excitation wavelength of the fluorophore, detecting light emitted by the fluorophore, and correlating the light emitted by the fluorophore to a presence or absence of an analyte within the biological environment in an amount above a minimum detection threshold. The presence of the analyte can increase or decrease the amount of light emitted by the fluorophore. The presence of the analyte may also shift the peak emission wavelength or alter the fluorescence lifetime of the fluorophore. The analyte, in some embodiments, includes hydrogen ions, halide ions, and/or halogens.

The present invention discloses a spectral-potentiometric-thermometric multi-dimensional titration analysis instrument, which comprises a spectral titration measurement device, a thermometric titration measurement device and a potentiometric titration measurement device which are arranged in parallel, meets the simultaneous measurement requirements of different analysis methods in chemical analysis, improves the measurement precision of different measurement methods, and effectively reduces the workload of separate experiments. The present invention further provides a usage method of the analysis instrument, provides analysis results of different angles and different characterization parameters for the change process of the material structure in the chemical reaction by conducting comparison analysis on data obtained using different measurement techniques, and effectively reduces the workload of titration analysis.

The present invention discloses a spectral-potentiometric-thermometric multi-dimensional titration analysis instrument, which comprises a spectral titration measurement device, a thermometric titration measurement device and a potentiometric titration measurement device which are arranged in parallel, meets the simultaneous measurement requirements of different analysis methods in chemical analysis, improves the measurement precision of different measurement methods, and effectively reduces the workload of separate experiments. The present invention further provides a usage method of the analysis instrument, provides analysis results of different angles and different characterization parameters for the change process of the material structure in the chemical reaction by conducting comparison analysis on data obtained using different measurement techniques, and effectively reduces the workload of titration analysis.

The invention relates to a method for analysing a blend of two or more hydrocarbon feed streams such as crude oils. These crude oils are blended in a facility such as a refinery. The method assesses the compatibility of a hydrocarbon feed in a blend to calculate the blend stability such that organic deposition is minimised. The method uses all of a plurality of hydrocarbon feeds to be blended for analysis. The method either selects a neat hydrocarbon feed, from a plurality of the hydrocarbon feeds included in a blend, as a titrant, wherein the or each other hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon feed are used to make a pseudo-blend and titrating the pseudo-blend with said selected neat hydrocarbon feed for a plurality of different blend ratios. Alternatively the method involves preparing a reference hydrocarbon and making a blend from the plurality of hydrocarbon feeds and titrating the blend with the reference hydrocarbon. Measurements associated with the change in characteristics of the titrated blend are made and data recorded. The method then calculates, using said data, the stability of the blend.

A method for determining an amount of water in a sample includes utilizing a reagent and includes sulfur dioxide or derivative thereof, a protic or aprotic solvent or combinations thereof, a derivative of imidazole that has the following structure:

##STR00001##

wherein each of R, R.sup.1, and R.sup.2 is independently a hydrogen atom, a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, a first hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or a second hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms interrupted in at least one position with a heteroatom, provided that R, R.sup.1, and R.sup.2 are not all hydrogen atoms. The reagent also includes a hydrogen halide donor. A molar ratio of the derivative of imidazole to the sulfur dioxide or derivative thereof is greater than 1:1. The method may include the step of providing a source of iodine.

A titration apparatus includes a titration measuring cell with a titration vessel, a valve device, and a first pump for sucking liquid through a first fluid line into a temporary storage container and transporting it via a second fluid line into the titration vessel. The temporary storage container is arranged in a fluid path between the first pump and the valve device. A third fluid line connects the first pump to the temporary storage container and is filled with a working liquid that does not affect the titration. A second pump conveys a volumetric solution into the titration vessel. An electronic controller controls the first and the second pumps and the valve device to convey a liquid from the first liquid supply into the temporary storage container to transport the liquid into the titration vessel and transport the volumetric solution into the titration vessel to carry out titration.

A first method for determining an amount of water in a sample includes the step of providing a reagent including: sulfur dioxide or a derivative thereof; a base; an optional hydrogen halide or hydrogen halide donor; a solvent; and a sulfonic acid; and the step of titrating the sample with the reagent. A second method for determining an amount of water in a sample includes the step of providing the aforementioned reagent, combining the sample with the reagent; and adding a source of iodine to the sample and/or the reagent. The reagent may alternatively consist essentially of sulfur dioxide or a derivative thereof; imidazole and/or a derivative thereof; an optional hydrogen halide or hydrogen halide donor; acetonitrile; methane sulfonic acid; and methanol and/or ethanol.