how to prepare ferric chloride solution

[Macanthony]

hi every one, i have ferric chloride etchant solution to prepare from 2.5kg of hexahydrate grannule. i tried experimenting with little quantities mixture of water and the hexahydrate grannule in ratio 2 to 1 respectively. then i dip copper board into it and after 4hrs etching had not started. please what is the best way to prepare ferric chloride etchant solution

 

[HarveyH42]

Should have worked. How clean was the copper? Temperature of the solution sometimes effects etching time. Usually takes about 15 minutes, but sometimes during the winter months it takes 30 minutes or so. Four hours, and nothing, bad chemicals, maybe something in the water. Really can't say, its not complicated to add power to the water, concentration isn't critical.

 

[Chippie]

Temperature of the solution sometimes effects etching time. concentration isn't critical.

I warm my Ferric solution in the microwave oven to shorten etch time...10 second bursts is all it take to warm it sufficiently,works great!

Of course having a dedicated tank with an inbuilt heater would be the best solution( no pun intended).

 

[Wp100]

Curious ..? - usually you take 250 grams of pellets and add enough warm water to make up 500ml of solution - stiring well to get a good mix.

It should etch well in 15-20 mins at room temperature say 20c, but it is better if warmed to 35 -40 c.

Either you have got the mix totally wrong or as I suspect you have got your board covered with some type of etch resist or a protective cover.

Normally a piece of bare copper will turn a pink / purple colour withing 10 seconds as the etching process begins.

If you still have problems come back with details of the pellets and copper board you are using - photos would help.

 

[Macanthony]

appreciation

thanks to you my ferric chloride solution is now etching well. its good to know that noting would be difficult for me to achieve with you guys around.

 

[hisyam]

hi guys..can i know is it ok if i cut some copper wire and mix it with HCL to make an iron chloride solution?

 

[mneary]

If you manage to dissolve copper wire in HCl it won't make FeCl, where would the iron come from?

 

[Vizier87]

probably he meant iron instead of copper.

 

[hisyam]

yup..i mean the iron..is it ok if i dissolved it with sulfuric acid

 

[Boncuk]

hi every one, i have ferric chloride etchant solution to prepare from 2.5kg of hexahydrate grannule. i tried experimenting with little quantities mixture of water and the hexahydrate grannule in ratio 2 to 1 respectively. then i dip copper board into it and after 4hrs etching had not started. please what is the best way to prepare ferric chloride etchant solution

The chemical formula of iron tricloride (ferric cloride) is Fe3Cl.

Depending on the make ferric cloride is supplied either in flour like or shrapnel shaped form.

It looks yellow to amber.

What did you use?

Boncuk

 

[mneary]

Mixing strong chemicals requires attention to detail to avoid getting killed.

"hisyam" has demonstrated his competence by seeking Fe3Cl by dissolving Fe (or is it really Cu) in HCl. Or maybe he has dissolved Fe in sulfuric acid and is seeking to get Fe3Cl by mixing the solution with HCl. He has 2.5kg of something called "hexahydrate grannule". I have no clue what this is, but I get a quarter million hits on google which link hexahydrate with home made explosives.

Perhaps this would-be chemist should be approached with caution.

 

[Vizier87]

Mneary, hisyam just butted in with the "copper" question only. The one with the hexahydrate granule is the original poster, McAnthony.

 

[mneary]

gulp. My bad.

I mistakenly associated the vintage thread with the new questions.