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Old 9th Aug 2019, 10:26 am   #21
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

You can buy washing soda from the detergent section of any supermarket.

You can be overly cautious over what is really a very small quantity of ferric chloride though. It won't do any real environmental damage if you dilute it with a bucket of water then pour it down the drain. It will be undetectably diluted by the time it ends up in the environment.
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Old 9th Aug 2019, 10:28 am   #22
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

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Originally Posted by robinshack View Post
Be careful giving authorities too much information. They might start sticking their nose in. Around 1990, I was asked by the environment agency what I would use for hygiene control growing mushrooms in polytunnels. I gave them the name of a common mushroom house disinfectant. I was then informed that as a disinfectant it was a class 1 hazardous substance and all waste water (including rain near tunnels and car park) would need to be collected, held and disposed of by a licensed waste contractor as it could possibly be contaminated! This was at a massive cost and unviable.
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Hmm .. Yes. I think I'll keep quiet about it for now. I'm going to put it all in one large container, label it 'Spent Ferric Chloride' and give it some more thought.
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Old 9th Aug 2019, 10:30 am   #23
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

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Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
You can buy washing soda from the detergent section of any supermarket.

You can become overly paranoid over what is really a very small quantity of ferric chloride though. It won't do any real environmental damage if you dilute it with a bucket of water then pour it down the drain. It will be undetectably diluted by the time it ends up in the environment.
I think you might be right there Paul. Thanks.

John
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Old 9th Aug 2019, 12:26 pm   #24
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

This may seem a daft question but I was so poor at Chemistry I did no revision for 'O' Level (why I was put in for it I don't know) and got the result I expected.

I have got an ancient glass bottle of Ferric Chloride that I recovered from my late parents' garage. It will date from when I was a callow youth and lived at home.

Will it be any good?
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Old 9th Aug 2019, 12:36 pm   #25
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

I would think it would be. I'm hoping so! My Dad passed away in 1990 so all the bottles I have date from the 1980's.

I have made a few small PCBs over the last couple of years and it all seems to be OK, if a little slow sometimes where I've been pouring it back in the bottles and thus diluting it somewhat.

I do have a bottle that he got me that's so far unopened and four times stronger so my intention is to dilute it with distilled water and go from there.

John
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Old 9th Aug 2019, 2:06 pm   #26
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

I have a plastic bottle in the garage I have had for some time too. Not sure whether I have put it in a jar, just in case, as I was wondering about the plastic, long term. It is marked 'Archer' and I got it from Tandy many years ago before they closed. There are instructions for use on the bottle, which for disposal say to pour used solution down the toilet bowl and flush. I would guess times have changed lol
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Old 14th Aug 2019, 11:56 pm   #27
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

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For many years I have been making my own PCBs with a Dalo etch resist pen and then etching with ferric chloride.

My father was a pharmacist and in the 1980's used to bring me bottles of ferric chloride as in the pictures. The plastic bottle is unopened, and I have quite a few glass ones! The ferric chloride in the plastic bottle is four times stronger than in the glass bottles.
The days when pharmacists stocked ingredients to mix their own extemporaneous preparations are long gone now, so don't expect to be able to refill the test tubes in your old chemistry set from Boots.

The only major exception is they often mix methadone powder with green syrup to the required strength as needed, simply because they wouldn't have enough secure storage space for all the dilute stuff their patients require.

Not a pharmacist or dispenser, I'm just someone who provided IT for pharmacies for many years.
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Old 15th Aug 2019, 6:57 pm   #28
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

I remember a "gardeners question time" on Radio 4 a couple of years ago where someone asked about getting rid of greenfly. One panel member remarked that they used to spray with diluted washing up liquid , but due to H&S, because washing up liquid is an irritant if it gets in your eyes, they would have to don a complete body suit to do it these days! I understand that schools are not allowed to use ordinary household bleach these days, and I was recently given a 10 litre drum of PVA that the local infants' school couldn't use as it was now considered to be the wrong type. I just hope we don't end up like Germany, where I understand that it is compulsory to have your car washed at an approved car wash so that the dirty water can be collected and disposed of in an approved manner.
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Old 15th Aug 2019, 7:13 pm   #29
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

It has been compulsory to take your car to the car wash in Switzerland for several years, also, it is against the law to use your washer after 10 pm. Some of their the soldiers keep their fire arms at home. Swiss train run on time and are extremely clean. the Swiss nation have frequent referendums about such matters.
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Old 15th Aug 2019, 8:42 pm   #30
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Default Re: Ferric Chloride

As this thread appears to have run it's course we'll wash it down the drain before the 10pm curfew.
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