The letters "EDTA" stand for the chemical solution ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid.

It is a chelating agent,
which means that its molecular structure allows it to bind to heavy metals.

varying pH, masking agents, back titrations

i have seen some methods here as kinetic masking, masking, demasking,

complexation

 Stambolovv gives a few guidelines in the use of chelating agents:

1 Degreasing of the stained areas prior to treatment is essential.
2 Hot solutions increase the rate of chemical reactions involved in stain removal
and intensify diffusion of the reaction products.
3 Repeated prolonged weak solutions are more effective than one drastic
treatment.
4 Contact between the stain and the cleaning solution is better and the durability
of action on the stain is longer if, instead of a pure solution of the stain remover, the
latter is mixed with absorbent matter (starch, chalk, talc, corn meal, flour, magnesia,
magnesium silicate, asbestos, cotton-wool, cotton textile etc.) and then spread on
the
stain as a thick layer.
5 Rinsing with distilled water before and after each treatment is indispensable.
Chelating reactions work fastest when both the chelating agent and the metal to be
chelated are present in solution
A good method of using chelating agents is to
combine them with a reducing agent.
Factors that influence the preference of a chelating agent for one ion over another,
such as pH and stability of the formed complex, are taken into account in a number
called Conditional Stability Constant. This is a practical expression of the chelate
strength for a certain metal ion with a certain chelating agent.

Source(s):

The effect of temperature on the selectivity of EDTA

as an extractant for amorphous iron oxides
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$ 31.50

O.K. Borggaarda
a
Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Chemistry Department, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871
Copenhagen V Denmark
Received 8 October 1980; 
accepted 9 February 1981. 

Available online 15 April 2003.

Abstract
Two soil samples, one from Denmark and the other from Tanzania, were extracted with EDTA at
temperature of 40°C or 90°C and various pH values for periods up to a maximum of 50 days. The
amounts of iron removed were then compared with those extracted by a “standard” method, which
consisted of treatment with an alkaline solution of EDTA at 21°C (room temperature) for periods
ranging from 3 to 9 months. The amounts extracted at the higher temperatures and also at lower pH
values were compared to those from the “standard” method. Amounts removed at 90°C were
appreciably higher than the “standard” for both samples, indicating attack on crystalline forms of iron
oxides and other soil minerals. Similar attacks apparently occurred for the sample from Tanzania at
40°C. Extraction of the sample from Denmark at 40°C and pH values above 8.8 removed the same
amounts of iron as did the “standard” method. Even so, the experimental results suggest that the
possibility of shortening extraction times by the use of higher temperatures is not feasible.

The sorption of heavy-metal cations from EDTA

complexes on acrylamide resins having
oligo(ethyleneamine) moieties
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$ 35.95

Z. Matejka and Z. Zitkova

Institute of Chemical Technology, Power Engineering Department, 16628, Prague, Czech Republic
Received 20 September 1996; 
accepted 12 March 1997. ;

Available online 18 June 1998.

Abstract
Removal of heavy metals from solutions containing a powerful chelator EDTA and the separation of
heavy metals from this anionic ligand are important for the efficient treatment of waste water and for
recovery and reuse of heavy metals.
The optimum working conditions of acrylamide sorbents having oligo(ethyleneamine) moieties for
uptake of chelated heavy metals (i.e. molar ratio {EDTA: Me}solution sorption kinetics and solution flow-
rate, concentration of heavy metal and pH value in the loading solution, presence of Mg2+ or Ca2+
cations), for resin regeneration and for separation of EDTA were investigated.
Development resins having OEA moieties and some commercially available exchangers were studied
and compared for this application.

Find 3 other methods to increase EDTA

selectivity rather :Control of
pH,complexation,ppt of infering
cations?

EDTA has very little selectivity so I doubt you will find much more.Masking/demasking
agents such as cyanide complexes,phosphate anions.. are nothing else than complexation
examples.Another method is called kinetic masking; for example determination of Cr and Fe
in steel sample solution (under cool condition,the EDTA will react with Fe first and after you
heat the solution the EDTA will react with Cr).The choice of indicator might increase
selectivity (different indicators have different reaction rate)but I'm not sure about that one
Demasking agents
Cyanide complexs
Solvent extraction
Anions
Kinetic masking
.....chosen of indicator

Factors influencing EDTA reactions:

􀂑The nature and activity of metal ion.

􀂑The pH at which the titration is carried out.

5
 􀂑The presence of interfering ions such as CN -, Citrate, Tartrate, F- and other
complex forming agents.

􀂑Organic solvents also increase the stability of complex.

Nature and stability of metal complexes of Ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid:

Ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid forms complexes with complexes with most cations in a
1:1 ratio, irrespective of the valency of the ion:
M2+ + [H2X]2- [MX]2- + 2H+

M3+ + [H2X]2- [MX]- + 2H+

M4+ + [H2X]2- [MX] + 2H+

where M is a metal and [H2X]2- is the anion of the disodium salt (disodium EDTA)
which is most frequently used. The structures of these complexes with di-, tri- and
tetravalent metals contain three, four and five rings respectively:
NOMONOOOOCCH2OOCCH2NOMONOOOOCCH2OOOONOOOONOMO---
Effect of pH on complex formation
Ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid ionizes in four stages (pK 1=2.0, pK2=2.67, pK3=6.16

and pK4=10.26) and, since the actual complexing species is Y 4-, complexes will form
more efficiently and be more stable in alkaline solution. If, however, the solubility
product of the metal hydroxide is low, it may be precipitated if the hydroxyl ion
concentration is increased too much. On the other hand, at lower pH values when the
concentration of Y4- is lower, the stability constant of the complexes will not be so high.
Complexes of most divalent metals are stable in ammonical solution. Those of the
alkaline earth metals, such as copper, lead and nickel, are stable down to pH 3 and hence
can be titrated selectively in the presence of alkaline earth metals. Trivalent metal
complexes are usually still more firmly bound and stable in strongly acid solutions; for
example, the cobalt(III) edetate complex is stable in concentrated hydrochloric acid.
Although most complexes are stable over a fair range of pH, solutions are usually
buffered
6
at a pH at which the complex is stable and at which the colour change of the indicator is
.most distinct

‫بعض المالحظات الهامة في معايرات االديتا‬

‫ ضبط الرقم الهيدروجيني‬/١:
‫ هذا‬F‫ المطلوب في التجربة ويتم‬F‫من المهم التأآد من أن المحلول له رقم هيدروجيني مطابق للرقم‬
‫عن طريق استخدام جهاز‬
. pH ‫ ورق‬F‫ أو باستخدام‬pH - meter ‫قياس الرقم الهيدروجيني‬
‫ آمية الدليل المستخدم‬/٢:
‫ إلى الكثير من األخطاء في الكشف عن نقطة‬F‫ألن إضافة آمية آبيرة من الدليل يمكن أن تؤدي‬
‫النهاية لذلك يجب الحذر‬
‫ بها‬F‫عند إضافة الدليل بحيث ال تتجاوز الكمية الموصى‬.
‫ آشف نقطة النهاية‬/٣:
 ‫في الكثير من معايرات االديتا يجب الحذر الشديد عند اإلضافة قرب نقطة النهاية ألنه ربما‬
‫يكون التغير اللوني بطئ‬
‫وفي بعض األحيان يلزم إلى جانب الرج المستمر والسريع أن نعمل على تدفئة المحلول إلى‬
‫حوالي ‪ ٤٠‬درجه مئوية‬
‫‪ /٤:‬ترآيز أيون الفلز المعاير‬
‫‪ ١٥٠‬مل من ‪ -‬في آثير من األحيان ال يجب أن يتجاوز ترآيز أيون الفلز مدى ‪ ٠٫٢٥‬مل مول‬
‫في حجم قدره ‪٥٠‬‬
‫المحلول حتى يمكن آشف نقطة النهاية بسهولة‪.‬‬