neutralizations

Neutralization is a chemical reaction in which an acid reacts with a base to form a salt and usually water. It is a fundamental example of acid–base chemistry and is widely used to remove or balance acidity. The canonical form is HA + BOH → BA + H2O, where HA is an acid and BOH a base; the resulting salt BA and water reflect the exchange of ions. The pH at the equivalence point depends on the strengths of the reacting species: strong acids with strong bases typically yield a pH near 7, whereas reactions involving weak acids or weak bases yield different equivalence-point pH values and may require buffering to reach neutrality.

Neutralization is employed in titration for determining concentrations, in wastewater and industrial processes to neutralize acidic or basic effluents, and in environmental remediation to raise pH of acidic soils or waters via buffering minerals such as carbonates. In medicine, antacid tablets neutralize stomach acid to relieve hyperacidity.

In biology and medicine, neutralization describes the inactivation of pathogens or toxins by binding with neutralizing antibodies or other molecules, preventing interaction with host cells. Neutralization assays, such as the plaque reduction neutralization test, assess the ability of antibodies in serum to inhibit viral infection. The concept also appears in antiviral or antitoxin therapies that rely on neutralizing activity.

Neutralization is influenced by buffering capacity, temperature, and concentration. Over- or under-neutralization can occur if the stoichiometry is not matched or if the system contains additional buffering species. In some systems, complete neutralization is not feasible due to ongoing acid generation or base consumption, requiring continuous treatment or buffering.