Chemical Forums
Specialty Chemistry Forums => Citizen Chemist => Topic started by: khemikuhlz on April 17, 2010, 10:15:59 PM
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I want to synthesize (or buy) ferric chloride so that I can create my own ferrofluid. The ferrofluid is for my entertainment (so so fun).
I prefer a simple synthesis but don't want to screw up my ferrofluid with a dumpy/impure ferric chloride.
My synthesis...
Steel wool placed into a bath of hydrogen peroxide 3% and hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid from a hardware store ~32%).
Will the excess of hydrochloric acid convert the Fe2O3 to FeCl3?
Is it ridiculous to think the that because the Iron oxide would convert to ferroc chloride?
or where could i just buy it? ha
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Well i tried some weird way to create my own ferrofluid...
It didn't work, but I'd like to know where I went wrong and what exactly I ended up with.
I first ran electrolysis with a copper wire cathode and a steel wool anode in hydrochloric acid and salt water.
When all of the steel wool was dissolved, I filtered the liquid and cooked off all of the moisture leaving behind a light greenish yellow powdery substance which I hoped to be ferric chloride.
I some of it and dissolved it in water.
I added a bit of steel wool to the solution and when it turned green filtered it.
I dissolve more ferric chloride in the solution and then add ammonia.
A reaction happens leaving me with a more viscous blueish purplish liquid.
This is boiled for approximately one hour.
The result is a grayish-silverish metallic looking liquid.
To this I add kerosene.
Now, supposesdly the result, after pouring our excess kerosene, is ferrofluid...
However, what I made cannot be ferrofluid as it is not affected in any way by the presence of a rare earth magnet....
What I am left with is a greyish fluid that is all beaded up in small separate beads and is oily...
What happened? Were the instructions I followed incorrect? Did I just screw up? What is this weird stuff I made?
Any insight would be phenomenal.