PAG 12 INVESTIGATING IRON TABLETS

RESEARCH:

 WHAT IRON TABLETS CONTAIN?

Each tablet contains 200mg ferrous sulphate dries equivalent to 65mg elemental iron. Other
ingredients consist of pharmaceutical excipients, namely maize starch, maltodextrin, calcium
stearate, lactose monohydrate, powdered cellulose, copovidone, sucrose, macrogol 4000,
talc, sodium starch glycolate and sodium dodecyl sulphate making up the tablet core.
sucrose, colorant ponceau 4R, red lacquer colour ponceau 4R lake, providone K-25, talc,
calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, macrogol , theobroma oil and
shellac constituting the coating.(1)

 THE ROLE OF IRON IN THE BODY, AND WHY SOME PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE IRON TABLETS.

Iron is an essential component in cells and has several vital functions. Ionic iron is a
component of a number of enzymes necessary for energy transfer and is present in
compounds necessary for transport and utilisation of oxygen. Iron deficiency can interfere
with these vital functions and lead to morbidity and mortality.

 THE APPROXIMATE MASS OF IRON PRESENT IN A STANDARD IRON TABLET.

Iron supplements usually contain about 50mg per tablet of iron(II).2 The different forms of
iron in supplements contain varying amounts of elemental iron i.e. ferrous fumarate is 33%
elemental iron by mass, whereas ferrous sulphate is 20% and ferrous gluconate is 12%
elemental iron.3

 THE RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE OF IRON.3

Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation

Birth to 0.27 mg* 0.27 mg*
6
months
7–12 11 mg 11 mg
months
1–3 7 mg 7 mg
years
4–8 10 mg 10 mg
years
 9–13 8 mg 8 mg
years
14–18 11 mg 15 mg 27 mg 10 mg
years
19–50 8 mg 18 mg 27 mg 9 mg
years
51+ 8 mg 8 mg
years

 DETAILS ABOUT A TITRATION METHOD USING POTASSIUM MANGANATE(VII) SOLUTION THAT

CAN BE USED TO FIND THE CONCENTRATION OF Fe2+ IONS IN A SOLUTION.

Weigh out a iron tablet in a weighing boat and transfer to a beaker.

Add 100 ml of deionised water and heat to dissolve the tablet.

Allow the solution to cool and transfer to a 250 ml volumetric flask and make up to the mark
with deionised water.

Prepare 1000 ml of 0.01 mol dm-3 potassium manganate(VII) solution by accurately weighing
out approximately 0.01 moles of potassium manganate(VII) and dissolving in 100 ml of 2 mol
dm-3 sulphuric acid. This is transferred to a 1000 ml volumetric flask and made up to the mark
with deionised water.

Pipette a 25 ml aliquot of the potassium manganate(VII) solution into a conical flask

Run the unknown iron(II) solution into the flask from a burette, recording the volume when the
purple colour of the manganate(VII) ions has just decolourised.

Repeat the titration until concordant results are obtained.

MnO4-(aq) + 8H+(aq) + 5Fe2+(aq) Mn2+(aq) + 4H2O(l) + 5Fe3+(aq)

Iron(II) ions are pale green in solution. They are oxidised by manganate(VII) ions in acidic
solution to iron(III), which are pale yellow in solution.(2)

METHOD:

Stage 1

1) Using a weighing scale, weigh accurately five iron tablets.

2) Place the iron tablets into a 100 cm3 conical flask and add approximately 50 cm3 of the 1
mol dm-3 sulfuric acid provided.
3) Stopper the conical flask, shake its contents well and then leave the tablets to dissolve. Or
you can use a pestle and mortar to break up the iron tablets in the acid solution to expose
the contents of the tablet as dissolving the outer coating of the tablet is a slow process and
may take up to a day. The solution will need filtering before carrying out the titration.

Stage 2

1) Without disturbing the residue, which will have settled down to the bottom of the conical flask,
carefully filter the solution directly into a 100cm3 volumetric flask using filter paper and a
funnel.
2) Rinse the residue in the filter paper into the volumetric flask using a small volume of distilled
water.
3) Add dilute sulfuric acid to make the solution in the volumetric flask up to the mark.
4) Invert the volumetric flask a few times to ensure that the contents of the volumetric flask are
thoroughly mixed to produce an acidified solution of iron (II) sulfate.
5) Fill a burette with the 0.200 mol dm-3 potassium manganate (VII) solution.
6) Pour some of the contents of the volumetric flask into a clean 250 cm 3 beaker and, using a 25
cm3 pipette, measure out a 25.0 cm3 sample of the iron (II) sulfate solution into a clean 250 cm3
conical flask.
7) Using a 25 cm3 measuring cylinder, measure out 25 cm3 of the 1 mol dm-3 sulfuric acid provided
and add this to the contents of the conical flask.
8) Titrate this sample of iron (II) sulfate solution by adding potassium manganate (VII) from the
burette until the first permanent pink colour is seen.
9) Repeat steps 6-8 another two times in order to carry out three titrations in total. Record the
three values obtained for the volumes of potassium manganate (VII) used.
10) Calculate and record the mean volume of potassium manganate (VII) solution used in the
titration (the average titre) using at least two concordant titres.(4)

1-http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/par/documents/websiteresources/con125980.pdf
2 http://alevelchem.com/aqa_a_level_chemistry/unit3.6/inorg01.htm
3 https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/#h2
4 https://www.academia.edu/