Stability constants of aluminium fluoride complexes.

Pointwise titrations of aluminium nitrate solutions with sodium fluoride were made at ionic strengths of 0.5, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05M and at temperatures of 25 degrees and 37 degrees . The total Al(3+) concentration was kept constant at 5 x 10(-4)M and the total F(-) concentration covered the range 5-20 x 10(-4)M with a minimum of 20 points per titration. It is shown that only mononuclear complexes were present with these solution compositions. Determinations of H(+) and F(-) in solution were made by the use of quinhydrone and lanthanum fluoride electrodes, respectively. Formation constants were calculated by three different procedures. Best results were obtained by a non-linear generalized least-squares method that (a) permits calculation of the formation constants with the simultaneous presence of all the complexes being taken into account, (b) does not require segregation of data according to the values of the formation function (n), and (c) yields standard errors that reflect the errors in all the experimental measurements. Values for the formation constants at infinite dilution were obtained by a linear least-squares adjustment of the values obtained for the four finite ionic strengths. The formation constants thus obtained for the reaction AlF(n-1) + F <==> AlF(n) (charges omitted) at 25 degrees have logarithmic values of 6.69 +/- 0.02, 5.35 +/- 0.03, 3.68 +/- 0.01 and 2.75 +/- 0.04 for n = 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The corresponding values at 37 degrees are 6.68 +/- 0.10,5.34 +/- 0.02,3.94 +/- 0.04, and 3.29 +/- 0.05.