No registration or passwords; no pop-up ads -- just aloha, fun, & answers.
(as an eBay Partner & Amazon Affiliate earns from qualifying purchases).
Home /
T.O.C.
Fun
FAQs
Good
Books
Ref.
Libr.
Advertise
 
Help
Wanted
Current
Q&A's
Site 🔍
Search
pub  Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989



-----

Using ferric chloride in etching copper dies





2005

I work at a printing company in GA. I use ferric chloride [on eBay or Amazon] to etch copper dies in a spray tank. Well I came into work one morning and my tank had "sludged over" I call it.It was a fresh tank, with fresh chemicals in it. The ferric chloride[on eBay or Amazon]had turned from a normal black looking color to a green color and had some sort of film in it.Well I Want to know why it did that.
The chemicals that I use are 13-A and 13-B. The copper content was around .3 on the spectrometer.

PLEASE HELP

DAVID FRANKLIN
PRINT SHOP EMPLOYEE - ATLANTA, Georgia, USA



It sounds as if you have reduced the ferric chloride[on eBay or Amazon]to ferrous chloride, hence the green colour. I would think this has been achieved by something, such as a lump of copper or other metal, being dropped into the ferric chloride[on eBay or Amazon]tank, where it has been oxidised by the ferric solution to give a soluble salt of the metal. Run an ICP to see what other metals are in the solution.

trevor crichton
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005



June 13, 2008

respected sir,
I want to etch the surface of copper rod. I started to etch. But I don't know about the effect of concentration of ferric chloride [on eBay or Amazon]. Now I am using high concentration. Is high concentration decrease the etching speed?
please check the above question and give me your valuable advice.

Sumithlal C
engineer - Calicut, Kerala, India




(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

 
Jobshops
Capital
Equipment
Chemicals &
Consumables
Consult'g, Train'g
& Software


About/Contact  -  Privacy Policy  -  ©1995-2024 finishing.com, Pine Beach, New Jersey, USA  -  about "affil links"