Applications
In industrial application, iron(III) chloride is used in sewage treatment and drinking water production. In this application, FeCl3 in slightly basic water reacts with the hydroxide ion to form a floc of iron(III) hydroxide, or more precisely formulated as FeO(OH)-, that can remove suspended materials.
Another important application of iron(III) chloride is etching copper in two-step redox reaction to copper(I) chloride and then to copper(II) chloride in the production of printed circuit boards
Iron(III) chloride is used as catalyst for the reaction of ethylene with chlorine, forming ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane), an important commodity chemical, which is mainly used for the industrial production of vinyl chloride, the monomer for making PVC.
Specification
| Sr.NO | Parameters | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appearance | A Clear dark Red/Brown liquid |
| 2 | FeCl3 Concentration | 42-43 % (min) |
| 3 | Ferrous Salt As Fecl2 | 0.10 % max |
| 4 | Free Acid as HCL | 0.02% |
| 5 | Insolubles | 0.05% |
| 6 | Specific Gravity @25deg. | 1.42 – 1.46 |
| 7 | Viscosity | 12.1 centi. For a 42 % solution |
| 8 | Crystallization | 42 % FeCl3-25deg f |
| 9 | Molecular Weight | 162.5 |
| 10 | Melting Point | 282 deg. C |
| 11 | Solubility | Miscible in water |