Where to buy powdered ferric chloride

mike deibert

mike deibert

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Jul 2, 2009
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I've been doing some net searches for powdered ferric chloride but can't seem to come up with any thing. It only comes up being sold in huge quantities. Does anyone know where I might buy just a couple pounds?
Thanks,
Mike
 
I bought some via eBay. Just do a search on Ferric Chloride. Lots of stuff will pop up. I bought it in powder form in 4oz jars.
 
Mix it outside and stay upwind. It gives off a chlorine gas when you first mix it. It also can get very hot while mixing. Add the powder slowly to the water. Don't mix it in a thin plastic jug ( milk jug)...it might melt. Mix it in a heavy plastic bucket, like a drywall bucket. When cooled down, pour into a plastic storage container and wash out the mix pot.


FC should be mixed to make a 42 Baume stock solution. You add one pound of crystals to 18 ounces of water to get this strength - one pound to one pint is close enough ( four pounds to a gallon). Distilled water us best, but any water that is not full of minerals (I use bottled water) is fine. Let it sit for a couple days before using it. Dilute the working solution from this stock . Three parts water to one part stock is what most folks use.
If you are just making up one gallon, skip the stock solution, and add one pound FC powder to a gallon of water. If making up a larger batch, one gallon of stock solution is easier to store than four gallons of working solution.

Again - Mix outdoors and don't breath the fumes when it is dissolving. Wearing gloves and a face shield, is a good practice.
 
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Thanks Guys,
I'll see if I can find some on ebay. Great information Stacy. Appreciate your help.

Mike
 
Honestly, I have been using the stuff from radio shack for a long time (3-4 years) I bought 1lb of anhydrous ferric chloride and I really didint like it, it was a pain to mix, about the same price as the other stuff, and produced different results.

my 2 cents
 
jakehobackknives said:
Honestly, I have been using the stuff from radio shack for a long time (3-4 years) I bought 1lb of anhydrous ferric chloride and I really didint like it, it was a pain to mix, about the same price as the other stuff, and produced different results.

my 2 cents
Click to expand...

Thanks Jake,
My only problem with the RadioShack stuff is that I live in Nicaragua and have to bring stuff down on a plane when I visit home. The good old TSA loves to take any FC I being in liquid form. Actually they take a lot of my knife-making stuff!
Mike
 
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