mericad193724 - 20-9-2006 at 17:18
I am trying to get my hands on some FeO (no...its not for thermite). I found one method of producing it from Rochelle Salt and FeCl3.
Rochelle Salt would be made by Na2CO3 and Potassium Hydrogen Tartrate, both household. The Rochelle Salt would be mixed with the FeCl3 and a black FeO
precipitate should result:
Fe 3+(aq) + C4H4O6 2-(aq) + 6H2O -> FeO + 2OH- + 4CO2 + 7H2O
(got this from a book)
The problem I suspect is having a very fine FeO precipitated which will be pyrophoric and Very easily ignite. Will this be a concern when using this
method of preparation?
Mericad
chemoleo - 20-9-2006 at 17:54
Why should it ignite? What's the delta H from FeO to Fe2O3? I don't think this would produce much energy, at least not enough to ignite.
Are you sure you don't mean pyrophoric Fe powder?
This is obtained from the decomposition of iron II oxalate, i.e. FeC2O4 --> Fe + 2 CO2.
This is pyrophoric.
mericad193724 - 20-9-2006 at 18:26
Chemoleo...I have a book called "Visualizing chemistry: An Investigation for Teachers" ... it is basically a collection of chemistry demonstrations,
one of them involves heating iron oxalate to decompose into FeO with release of CO and CO2. The FeO, which in a fine powder, will rapidly oxidize and
"burn." I think the same will happen if I made it from Rochelle Salt and FeCl3, no?
12AX7 - 20-9-2006 at 20:37
You're most likely making ferrous ferrite, i.e., magnetite, which is very stable (especially being spinel form) and melts at white heat before it
decomposes (unlike actual FeO, which undergoes a transition 500~800C (IIRC; Brauer) to 4FeO = Fe + Fe3O4.
Tim