ferric chloride

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hacknet said:
the *** sold me bleach!! she said i asked for fabric clorox... jack ***.... wasted my money... i got 7 liters of the stuff sitting in my room now

Not really her fault is it so no need to call her anything? If she said you wanted Fabric Chlorix you should probably explained a bit further that that was not what you wanted. Normally you don't just buy it just anywhere but you have to do that in special electronics shop or similar.

"You get what you ask for so keep asking until you get what you want"
 
hacknet said:
does ferric chloride smell like bleach? or like swimming pool water? i got a bottle cheap and im not sure if i got the rite stuff... is it similar to bleach? on the reciept it states bleach... pls help..

Check here!

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6594&highlight=h2o2

Bleach together with acid kicks a**. Read more about it in the thread and also the precautions!.

Ferric chloride is strongly yellow and if it's in a bottle dark brown.
 
sikkek said:
Peranders,

I don't think he has H2O2 bleach, but some chloric bleach. I don't know how that will react when mixed with HCl.....

hacknet, don't use any fluids if you aren't sure what it is!

Known working fluids:

Ferric chloride, whatch out for stains on clothes!!!

Ammonium persulfat (in Swedish). White powder, gets blue when used. Equally good as FeCl3 but it's easier to solve in warm water, no gases either. I have used it a lot. Watch out for stains on cotton, bleaches!! Can also make holes!!

Peroxide + HCl + 3 parts of water = dangeruos but really effective. Watch out for stains, holes in your clothes!!!
 
Usable etchants

Ferric chloride exists in two versions,-- FeCl3 and FeCl2. Only FeCl3 is usable as an etchant...
The trick about FeCl3 as an etchant is that is is reusable until the "soup" is saturated with copperchloride....then the etching time increases dramatically and finally halts.. it also needs to be heated to 45-50 deg. to be usable without very long process time...

Other usable etchants are Sodium sulphate and ammonium sulphate, both can be reusable but needs the same heating as FeCl3. Should be available at electronic suppliers. Both gives a transparent solution, whereas Ferric chloride is a mess and stains everything..

All the above etchants needs air, either by being sprayed or foamed. Submersion only don't work....

An alternative etchant is 50% strength hydrochloric acid, 50% hydrogen peroxide, and water, mixed in 1 : 1 : 2.
This is a one time solution that must be mixed immediately prior to use, and then disposed of. Cannot be stored ready made. Mix accurately, or you have no process or ultra fast , which gives too much underetching of the edges.
The process develops chlorine gas, so use well ventilated only...

Good luck
 
I stand to be corrected....:D ,
but FeCl2 does exist, but is still not usable as an etchant...

For the Sodium an ammonium stuff, -they are both -persulphates...of course...

The HCl, H2O2 and water mixture is actually quite fast. I have often used it in "hurry" situations and for non critical work, when my etching machines where out of duty, for some reason or the other....
 
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