Ferric chloride is one of the most widely used solutions for copper etching, either to create artistic or industrial designs on copper. Unlike its other acid counterparts, ferric chloride does not produce dangerous fumes, propagate odors or penetrate the skin. However, when ferric chloride is used to etch increasing amounts of copper, the copper makes the solution less effective and must be removed. When this happens, labs send the solution off to a processing plant equipped to separate copper from ferric chloride.
- Diaphragm cell, equipped with a cathode compartment and an anode compartment separated by a Dynel filter cloth diaphragm. The anode compartment should be equipped with an overflow apparatus, letting the solution exit after it passes through the anode and the cathode.
- Voltage current source
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Instructions
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1
Obtain a diaphragm cell from one of the major research supply companies. The cell should be large enough in volume to accommodate your ferric chloride etching solution. Attach the voltage current source to the cell, per manufacturer's instructions.
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2
Pour the solution into the cathode compartment of your diaphragm cell.
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3
Pass a 12-amp current through the cell. The solution will pass through the cathode, into the anode, and exit through the overflow compartment of the anode.
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Continue running current through the cell for 8 hours, after which practically all the copper will have accumulated at the cathode, and the ferric chloride solution in the overflow compartment will be 99-percent pure of copper.