Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Ferrous chloride crystals left in open air

CHRIS25 - 30-3-2013 at 06:48

SORRY, BUT THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME this year that I have tried to upload images: My images are trimmed to 400kb and max 400px on longest side and this forum server will not accept them. So the explanation below is pointless without the image.

Hi, I know not spectacular, but thought it interesting. At least I had not expected this. Ferrous chloride with no apparent oxidation taking place to ferric chloride - at least no observable change yet.

I filtered the ferrous chloride solution having heated it down to a bare minimum of solution, but with just a few iron filing scrap left over. The wet sodden green mash that I collected in the filter was full of ferrous chloride and iron particles mixed together. The solution itself remained an olive green.

I left the solids outside for two days in 3 - 8 c temperatures uncovered and the solids have evaporated quite some water to be left with a reasonably dry mass of ferrous chloride. Though I know it is by no means pure. You can see the Elemental Iron particles trapped within the crystals though not so clear on the image attached.

What I did not expect was first that any evaporation would take place, also I expected a little hydrolysis due to the wet atmosphere in the weather, and lastly I expected this to turn brown and at least show signs of it oxidizing. The presence of elemental iron explains why it is not oxidising? Not that I mind, this was all just a side show to something else I am busy with.





[Edited on 30-3-2013 by CHRIS25]

IrC - 30-3-2013 at 14:44

Just use a program to re-size the image to 800 X 3000. Always worked for me.