Ferric Chloride Disposal

A search on GlobalSpec's Engineering Search Engine for ferric chloride disposal brings up the following link: http://mgchemicals.com/techsupport/ferric_faq.html

Hope this helps

Steve

Thanks! Dick

Steve I recycle spent ferric chloride all over the nation. Call me at 888-741-6425 or visit my website at www.ema-env.com. All product I pickup is on a bill of lading.

Surely you wouldn't bother for only a couple of pints of spent ferric chloride!

I looked at your website, but got no response when I tried to click on recycling.

Dick

if you click on my website all correspondence comes to me. You are correct in that if you have only a couple pints its not worth it. However if you contact your local wwt or your local lab to see it they can use it. Always think reuse before disposal. Hope this helps. thylla@ema-env.com

Almost all cities have a hazardous waste disposal system. All Fire Departments can tell you what to do with it. You are right in not considering the city waste water system a free toxic disposal site.

Iron and Chloride, neither particularly toxic (unless injected in large dose). It is actually a coagulant used to treat drinking water and gray water to remove low concentrations of suspended solids. The environment would not be an issue here. Since Iron and Chloride are ubiquitous in sewage and soil. It can cause precipitation of solids from your waste streem in your tank, if the pH is appropriate (which isn't particularly bad). It is slightly acidic (about like Vinegar), so large relative volumes could be overwhelming to a treatment system.

Ferric Chloride in the volume you seek to dispose of is not likely to overwhelm your system, just flush with water.

While Dick's "contribution" to the wastewater system isn't bad in itself, the issue with used ferric chloride is that it contains a significant amount of residual copper ions, which are toxic to fish and other aquatic life.

Iron and chloride may not be hazardous but the copper residue in the ferric chloride will be. Make sure you dispose of it properly.

I have used ferric chloride in jewelry making and have used hydrogen peroxide to neutralize the chemical. If you're neutralizing a vat of solution, do it outside or in a well ventalated area of course.

How much hydrogen peroxide should one use in proportion to the ferric chloride?

As Steve pointed out, What I'm disposing of (have to confess I haven't yet...) was used to dissolve copper, so it's not just ferric chloride any more. Its pretty obvious that iron precipitates out on the containers, as they look rusty after repeated use.

I understand that the reaction is actually more complex. but the end result is essentially FeCl₃ +Cu --> CuCl₃ +Fe. Of course the reaction is not complete, so I end up with a mixture of FeCl₃ and CuCl₃ with some HCl.

In what way does Hydrogen peroxide neutralize it?

Since the solution is acidic, I'd think it would be best to add a base. You are adding an acid to an acid!

Now one last thought: I have purchased copper sulfate to kill roots around my sewage lines, perhaps the Ferric Chloride waste would do the same?

I recycle spent ferric chloride. 888-741-6425 or www.ema-env.com