How to make Ferrous Chloride

[Brownie]

Hi folks,

 

I'm looking for a way to make ferrous chloride. I'd like to try using it to lightly tarnish and give an aged look to nickel plated metal parts. I have used ferric chloride (etchant solution) both full strength and diluted with mixed results, perhaps due to differences in the nickel plating.

 

Someone told me that ferrous chloride works better and yields more consistent results. I've read that it can be made by adding steel wool to sulfuric acid. I'm not a chemist, so I thought I'd ask some people who know more about this stuff than I do. I'm wondering what ratio of ingredients I would need and how I would proceed safely to make it.

 

Perhaps there's a better way to make it? Or maybe something that would work better that I'm not aware of? Thanks:-)

 

Geoff

[YT2095]

Iron in HCl will make ferrous chloride: Fe + 2 HCl → FeCl2 + H2.

 

you don`t need Sulphuric anywhere, just Iron and Hydrochloric.

[John Cuthber]

Iron (eg steel wool) and FeCl3 will also give FeCl2. This might be more use to you since you already have access to FeCl3.

[dom3mo]

To make it just disslove iron in sulfric acid .

[YT2095]

how is the SO4 2- Anion going to make a Cl- Anion?

[dubois928]

Pwnd.