[khemikuhlz]

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

[khemikuhlz]

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.