FeCL3 Ferric Chloride Anhydrous Used for Water Treatment and Metal Etching

FeCL3 Ferric Chloride Anhydrous Used for Water Treatment and Metal Etching
 

Introduction of Ferric Chloride

The chemical formula is FeCl3, and the appearance is black-brown crystals (also has flakes appearance). It is easy to dissolve in humid air and hydrolyze in solutions with low acidity to form iron hydroxide colloid. It is easily soluble in water, methanol, ethanol but insoluble in glycerol (propylene glycol). When dissolved in water, it releases a lot of heat to form a coffee-colored or brown-yellow acidic solution, from which hexahydrated ferric chloride (FeCl3×6H2O) with crystal water can be precipitated. Ferric chloride is an important iron salt, which is widely used in metal etching, sewage treatment, coagulants, catalysts, oxidants, mordants, drugs and other fields.

Thermal Decomposition
Ferric chloride can be decomposed into ferrous chloride and chlorine gas when heated to 200 ℃ in a vacuum.
2FeCl3 → 2FeCl2 + Cl2↑

Parameter

Application

Ferric chloride is mainly used in metal etching and wastewater treatment due to its oxidizing properties and flocculation mechanism in aqueous solution.

1. Used for metal etching (etching of materials such as copper, stainless steel, and aluminum, such as eyeglass frames, clocks, electronic components, signboards, etc.).
2. Used in the construction industry to prepare concrete to enhance the strength, corrosion resistance, and waterproofness of concrete.
3. Can be prepared with ferrous chloride, calcium chloride, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfate, hydrochloric acid, etc. to make concrete waterproofing agents.
4. Used as raw materials for the manufacture of other iron salts and inks in the inorganic industry.
5. Used as catalysts, oxidants, and chlorinating agents in the organic industry.
6. Used as an oxidant in the dyeing of indigo dyes in the dyeing industry.
7. Used as an oxidant and mordant in the dyeing of indigo dyes in the printing and dyeing industry.
8. Used as a chlorination extractant for extracting gold and silver in the metallurgical industry.
9. Used as a hot colorant for glassware in the glass industry.
10. Used as a coagulant for recovering glycerol from soap waste liquid in the soap making industry.
11. Chlorination leaching agent for silver and copper ores.
12. Used as an analytical reagent and a thin layer chromatographic developer.
13. Used in the production of electronic industrial circuit boards and fluorescent digital tubes.
14. Ferric chloride is an important water treatment agent. It is easily soluble in water, has strong water absorption, and is an organic synthesis catalyst. After reacting with hydroxide alkalinity in water, it generates a variety of hydrolysis products, which then combine to form Fe(OH)3. These hydrolysis products carry a lot of positive charges, so they can neutralize the negative charges on the colloidal particles, and combine with negatively charged particles and ferric hydroxide. Due to this binding ability, it has flocculation ability and forms alum flowers. Ferric chloride reacts chemically with hydrogen sulfide, phosphate, arsenate and hydroxide alkalinity in water to form precipitates. It can precipitate heavy metals and sulfides in wastewater, and the iron oxide alum flowers formed can absorb substances that are difficult to degrade in water. It is an efficient and inexpensive flocculant for urban sewage and industrial wastewater treatment, with significant effects of precipitating heavy metals and sulfides, decolorizing, deodorizing, degreasing, sterilizing, removing phosphorus, and reducing effluent COD and BOD.