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  1. Home >
  2. Technologies & Solutions >
  3. Ferric Chloride
Technologies & Solutions

Ferric Chloride

  • Overview
  • Applications

Ferric Chloride or Iron (III) Chloride (FeCl3) is used as a flocculant in sewage treatment and drinking water production. When small quantities of ferric chloride are added to the raw water, iron(III) hydroxide precipitates and adsorbs finely divided solids and colloids.
It is usually produced and marketed as a concentrated solution with a minimum concentration of 40% w/w. Starting from this solution is also possible to produce a solid crystallized Ferric Chloride with 37°C melting point.

Consito developed know-how and technologies for ferric chloride 40% w/w solution production plants, both for waste water treatment and drinking water grades.
We can provide for some different processes to produce ferric chloride, according to the feedstock:

  • Iron scraps and chlorine gas, by ferric chloride recycling
  • Soft iron and chlorine gas, by ferric chloride recycling
  • Ferric oxide and hydrochloric acid
  • Mixed oxides, hydrochloric acid and chlorine gas
  • Pickling liquors and chlorine gas, with final concentration

The raw materials are likewise cheap and easily available so that the manufacture of ferric chloride is frequently an attractive supplement for chlor-alkali producers.


Production process

Ferric chloride 40% w/w solution can be produced by different processes, according to the feedstock.

Iron scraps

Ferrous chloride is obtained by contact of ferric chloride with iron into a dissolution vessel, according to the following reaction:

Fe + 2 FeCl3 = 3 FeCl2

The ferrous chloride solution resulting from iron dissolution is then filtered and oxidized to ferric chloride in the chlorination section by chlorine gas, according to the following reaction:

3 FeCl2 + 1.5 Cl2 = 3 FeCl3

Two third of the ferric chloride solution are recycled back to the dissolution vessel and one third is discharged as product.

Soft iron

This feedstock is a powder of soft iron obtained from rolling-mill process. Production process is analogue to the above description with iron scraps as raw material.

Ferric oxide

Starting from ferric oxide, by product of steel mills, or from hematite, it is possible to obtain ferric chloride by simple reaction with 32% HCl:

Fe2O3 + 6 HCl = 2 FeCl3 + 3 H2O

Mixed oxides

This feedstock is a mixture of ferric oxide and ferrous oxide obtained as scales from rolling-mill process. A previous treatment with 32% HCl followed by chlorination gives place to complete conversion to ferric chloride, according to the following reactions:

Fe2O3 + 6 HCl = 2 FeCl3 + 3 H2O
FeO + 2 HCl = FeCl2 + H2O
FeCl2 + 0.5 Cl2 = FeCl3

Pickling liquors

By a particular process it is possible also to use as feedstock the sludge from steel pickling with HCl. Reduction of chorine consumption is also obtained. Final concentration by evaporation is generally required to reach a 40% w/w solution.

Operating data

Typical final product quality
Purity on dry basis % 99
Appearance dark brown solution
Density 1.43 g/ml at 20°C
Solubility in water 1%
Melting point -12 °C
Viscosity 10 mPA at 20°C
Chemical properties acidic and highly corrosive
Min concentration of active matter FeCl3 % 40     +/- 3
Min concentration of active matter Fe(III) % 13,7  +/- 3
Manganese % max 2
Iron (II) % max 2.5
Insoluble % max 0.2
Open table

Typical main raw material consumptions for each process:
Referred to 1 metric ton of FeCl3 solution 40% w/w:

Process a b c d e
Iron scraps kg 140 140
Soft iron kg
Ferric oxide kg 200
Mixed oxides kg 200
Pickling liquors kg 1,400
Soft iron kg
Chlorine kg 270 220 20 50
HCl 32% kg 750 800 300
Evaporated kg 720
Open table

Ferric chloride applications

Ferric Chloride or Iron (III) Chloride (FeCl3) is used as a flocculant in sewage treatment and drinking water production. When small quantities of ferric chloride are added to the raw water, iron(III) hydroxide precipitates and adsorbs finely divided solids and colloids.

In Europe, chemical using of ferric chloride for drinking water is well defined by the UNI EN 888:2005 Regulation.
Applies to iron (III) chloride (a), iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (b) and iron (III) chloride solution (c) for treating water intended for human consumption. It covers characteristics and defines requirements and corresponding test procedures for iron (III) chlorides (a), (b), and (c), together with information on its use in water treatment.

Impurity and main by-products: limit as mass fraction of Fe(III) content in %
Reference: Table 3 - Impurities
Fe (II) has a lower coagulant efficiency compared to Fe(III). Also hydrolysis of Fe(II) starts at pH8 and therefore Fe(II) can remain into the water at lower pH values.
An excess of insoluble matters indicates the presence of foreign matter Iron is a component of the product will usually be removed in the treatment process.

Chemical parameters: limit as mg / kg of Fe(III)

Reference: Table 4 - Chemical parameters
Cyanide (Cn-), pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are not relevant since the raw materials used in the manufacturing process are free of them. For max impact of iron (III) chloride on trace metal content.

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