FeCl neutralizer

Karl B. Andersen

Karl B. Andersen

Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Messages
5,689
What do ya'll find does the best job neutralizing FeCl, and how do you follow-up to show the etching job you just accomplished?
 
I use windex with amonia to neutralize, then I rinse in hot water, let dry, then lightly buff it. If you overbuff then it just looks polished, but if you buff lightly enough then you get a kinda neat effect, it's shiney but still dark.
 
Karl, there are a whole bunch of household "bases" that can be used to effectively neutralize the hydrochloric acid in FeCl, which is what actually does the etching. Ammonia, baking soda, Windex with ammonia, Liquid Plumber (sodium hydroxide), Draino, lye soap, garden lime, 20 Mule Team, even Boraxo hand soap is basic enough. I'm sure there are others I've not mentioned.

My procedure is to remove the piece from etch, wash with water, then scrub the loose oxide off under running water with a degreased steel wool, followed by washing with Boraxo hand soap and finishing with a hot water rinse. I haven't had a blade rust up on me yet doing this.

Just the way I do it..... :)
 
Would it be better to boil in baking soda rather than just rinse ?
 
It wouldn't hurt to boil in bicarb, of course. I just haven't personally found it necessary.

I rinse in really hot water because after drying it helps evaporate any remaining moisture. Old lab trick.
 
I'm wondering about this...
Many years ago someone explained to me that there is no acid in ferric cholide at all. It's a highly corrosive salt; not acid. This explanation made sense to me since the symbol FeCl is like other salts such as table salt (NaCl), potash, etc. Acids and bases are defined by the amount of free hydrogen ions in solution. It seems to me that basic solutions would do nothing to counteract the effects of FeCl, unless you're using something that also happens to tie up the corrosive portions of it rather than trying to counteract hydrogen ions. Any benefits would come from simply washing the salt out.

Of course, this all depends on whether or not I was informed correctly- I may be totally wrong here. But I do recall a girl in the metals lab who was trying to stop an etch (FeCl) with a baking soda slurry, and it didn't work. I think she would have been better off just washing it with lots of hot water.
 
I can dig up a link for you that will explain why it's hydrochloric acid, but I'll try and give a down and dirty.

FeCl is a salt. Dissolve crystals in water and an insoluble precipitate forms, which is ferric hydroxide. The removal of iron and hydroxyl (water can be described as 'hydrogen hydroxide') ions from the solution leave an excess of hydrogen and chloride ions, or HCl, which is what does the etching. The link I could give you will say exactly the same thing, but with a couple equations to back it up.

You can't "neutralize a neutral salt", but you can surely neutralize HCl with bicarb.

At least that's the impression I got from 33 years in chemistry. :)

Edited to add: here ya go, an article that explains FeCl etching. It's concerning copper print plates, but the applicability remains.
http://www.artmondo.net/printworks/articles/ferric.htm
Hope that helps. :)
 
I take out of the FECL, instantly spray with Windex. I dont even put it under water at this point, and instead scrub with just windex and 0000 steel wool. I then re-spray with windex and re-steel wool, then I go to water to wash up the loosened and slurry of carbon that the steel wool removed. Depending on the etch, I may try some simichrome, but some very fine hamon details will wash out even with simichrome and a paper towel. My most recent took about 12 short etches and a whole lot of hand rubbing to get all the different layers and transition lines to come out....
 
fitzo said:
I can dig up a link for you that will explain why it's hydrochloric acid, but I'll try and give a down and dirty.

FeCl is a salt. Dissolve crystals in water and an insoluble precipitate forms, which is ferric hydroxide. The removal of iron and hydroxyl (water can be described as 'hydrogen hydroxide') ions from the solution leave an excess of hydrogen and chloride ions, or HCl, which is what does the etching. The link I could give you will say exactly the same thing, but with a couple equations to back it up.

You can't "neutralize a neutral salt", but you can surely neutralize HCl with bicarb.

At least that's the impression I got from 33 years in chemistry. :)

Edited to add: here ya go, an article that explains FeCl etching. It's concerning copper print plates, but the applicability remains.
http://www.artmondo.net/printworks/articles/ferric.htm
Hope that helps. :)
Click to expand...


god I love it when you talk like that Mike:D
 
Maybe a little Trisodium Phospahte, since I have a whole box of it?
I'm just south of Kankakee Fitzo. We're almost neighbors!
 
TSP is a very strong base. Good stuff to have a box of around the house. :)

Yeah, Karl, we're probably about 90 minutes apart given the time it takes to get around Chicago.
 
I rinse while steel wooling (4-ought) , neutralize, rinse, personally. But, yes, TSP will certainly do the job. Eats skin real easily, too!
 
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