ferric chloride

noun

Chemistry.

1. a compound that in its anhydrous form, FeCl 3 , occurs as a black-brown, water-soluble solid; in its hydrated form, FeCl 3 ⋅xH 2 O, it occurs in orange-yellow, deliquescent crystals: used chiefly in engraving, for deodorizing sewage, as a mordant, and in medicine as an astringent and styptic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferric chloride¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Chloride levels in the river water accelerated lead corrosion, which worsened when the treatment plant added ferric chloride to remove contaminants.

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Last September, waste containing sodium hydroxide and ferric chloride - used to flush etching tanks at one of Los Alamos’ key sites for explosives testing - was documented as a strong basic solution, with a pH of less than 12.5.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says state inspectors conducted a review of the PWSA’s main treatment plant along the Allegheny River on Jan. 6 that discovered that the facility was using ferric chloride and caustic soda as coagulating agents in place of lime.

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Its maker, Grace Manufacturing of Russellville, Ark., originally specialized in etching steel parts for computer printers, using ferric chloride to produce edges so sharp that drops of blood were a regular sighting on the factory floor.

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Footage from locals captures the cloud, which included nitric acid and ferric chloride, causing the cloud's bright colour.

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