What is the pH value?

The pH value is a measure of the strength of the acidic or basic effect of an aqueous solution. The term is derived from “pondus Hydrogenii” or “potentia Hydrogenii” (lat. pondus, n. = weight; potentia, f. = force; hydrogenium, n. = hydrogen).

The categorization for purified water and dilutions at 25 °C:

• pH < 7 is a solution with acidic properties
• pH = 7 is a neutral solution
• pH > 7 is a solution with alkaline (basic) properties

The pH value can be determined very easily and quickly in everyday clinical practice using a blood gas analysis (BGA). This is also extremely important in emergency medicine, as the pH value of the blood is often used as an important indicator of certain diseases or disorders. The first thing the doctor looks at is whether the pH value is higher or lower than in healthy people.

• Acidosis is indicated if the blood’s pH value drops below 7,37.
• Alkalosis is indicated if the blood’s pH value rises above 7,45.

In the laboratory of Ebbecke Verfahrenstechnik AG an exact determination of the pH-value is important for many containers. In addition to determining the water content and moisture as well as particle size analysis, the team defines the particle shape, takes microscopic pictures and determines the bulk density, tamped density or annealing residue.