7 Iron Chloride Uses : Facts You Should Know!

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Iron chloride is the chemical compound of formula FeCl2 and FeCl3. FeCl2 is a paramagnetic solid. Let us understand different uses of Iron chlorides in different industries.

The industrial applications of Iron Chloride are listed below-

  • Wastewater treatment
  • Laboratory uses
  • Veterinary practice
  • Artisans
  • Agriculture
  • Surgical treatment
  • As a catalyst

This article explores the uses of Iron(II) chloride, Iron(III) chloride in different industries elaborately.

Industry Uses

  • Cleaning agent
  • Etching agent
  • Flocculating agent
  • Intermediates
  • Precipitating agent

Wastewater treatment

The uses of iron chloride in Wastewater treatment are given below:

  • Ferrous chloride serves as a coagulation and flocculation agent in wastewater treatment, especially for wastes containing chromate or sulfides.
  • Ferrous chloride is used for odor control in wastewater treatment. It is also used as a precursor to make various grades of hematite that can be used in a variety of pigments.
  • FeCl3 is used as a flocculant while FeCl2 is not a flocculant , however it is used to precipitate sulfide and phosphate.
  • It is used in experimental energy storage systems.

Laboratory uses

The uses of iron chloride in laboratory are discuss below:

  • In the laboratory iron(III) chloride is commonly employed as a Lewis acid for catalyzing reactions such as chlorination of aromatic compounds and Friedel–Crafts reaction of aromatics.
  • It is less powerful than aluminum chloride, but sometimes this mildness leads to higher yields, for example in the alkylation of benzene.
  • Alkylation of benzene is exploited in the Trinder spot test, which is used to indicate the presence of salicylates, particularly salicylic acid, which contains a phenolic OH group.
  • Trinder spot test can be used to detect the presence of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and gamma-butyrolactone.
  • It is used as a drying reagent in its anhydrous form.
  • It is used to detect the presence of phenol compounds in organic synthesis; e.g., examining purity of synthesized Aspirin.
  • It reacts with cyclopentadienyl magnesium bromide in one preparation of ferrocene, a metal-sandwich complex.
  • Ferric Chloride (FeCl3) is used in organic synthesis as a catalyst.
  • It is used as an additive in sodium chloride (NaCl) to produce clear crystals.

Veterinary practice

The uses of iron chloride in veterinary practice are discuss below:

  • It is used in veterinary practice to treat overcropping of an animal’s claws, particularly when the overcropping results in bleeding.

Artisan

Iron chloride is used by artisans in following processes listed below:

  • FeCl2 is used for printing photographic and fine art images .
  • FeCl2 is used to make printed circuit boards (PCBs) by etching copper.
  • FeCl2 is used to strip aluminum coating from mirrors.
  • Historically FeCl2 was used to make direct positive blueprints.
  • FeCl2 is used by bladesmiths and artisans in pattern welding to etch the metal, giving it a contrasting effect, to view metal layering or imperfections.
  • FeCl2 is used to test the pitting and corrosion resistance of stainless steels and other alloys.
  • FeCl2 is used to prepare writing ink.
  • FeCl2 is used as a mordant in dying.

Agriculture

The uses of iron chloride in Agriculture are discuss below:

  • FeCl2 is used as weed killer in agriculture.

Surgical treatment

The uses of iron chloride in Surgical treatment are as follows:

As a catalyst

The uses of iron chloride as a catalyst are discuss below:

FeCl3 is utilized to perform catalyzing processes in research facilities, including the Friedel Crafts acylation and alkylation reactions and the chlorination of organic hydrocarbons. Ferric chloride is frequently utilized as a Lewis acid.

Conclusion-

FeCl2 is a hygroscopic white crystalline ionic compound that is highly soluble in water and has a very high melting point and good conductivity. Iron chloride is widely used in sewage water treatment. It also has applications in medicinal chemistry, textile industry and is often used as a precursor in organic synthesis.