> chemistry > divers-inorganiques > copper-chemistry-around-echants > recover-copper-from-ferric-chloride-etchant-waste-free-method-nurdrage

Recover Copper from Ferric Chloride Etchant (Waste free method)

NurdRage - 2015-05-23

Glassware generously provided by http://www.alchemylabsupply.com/
Use the discount code "copper" for a 5% discount.

In this video we recover the copper from spent ferric chloride PCB etchant.

First the etchant is filtered to remove any insoluble particles. Then excess copper metal is added to fully react any remaining ferric chloride and cupric chloride to form ferrous chloride and cuprous chloride, also known as iron (II) chloride and copper (I) chloride respectively. The mixture is distilled to remove the remaining hydrochloric acid. Once dry, water is added back in to dissolve the iron (II) chloride but not the insoluble copper (I) chloride. The solution is filtered and any remaining pieces of copper metal are manually removed. The copper (I) chloride can be converted to copper metal by following the procedure in the recycle copper chloride etchant video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjEoRidvgYE

The iron (II) chloride filtrate is boiled to remove the water and the hydrochloric acid that was originally distilled off is added back in. Air is bubbled into the solution to convert the iron (II) chloride in iron (III) chloride which is ferric chloride.

Finkel - Funk - 2015-05-23

Am I the only one where who is watching those videos just because he wants to learn something about chemistry and who is propably never going to perform any of those experiments himself?

science_and_anonymous - 2015-05-24

Who knows how to make a begging for a youtube video? Whatever its called

TheMelopeus - 2015-05-24

Do you mean a "intro"?

science_and_anonymous - 2015-05-24

Yes thats what I mean @Ash Chauhan​

Ash Chauhan - 2015-05-26

Lol

science_and_anonymous - 2015-05-26

So any one know how to make one

Davy Zeng - 2015-05-23

Good luck NurdRage on finding a crowdfunding site.

NEY Industries - 2015-08-26

Yay, I bought some glassware and going to try it out IRL!!!
(^ 3^)

Michael Aichlmayr - 2017-04-07

This is a terrific video. Thank you so much for producing it. I have encountered three additional ferric chloride solutions I would like to recover, but as they are not pure, I am not sure how this process would work with them. The first is ferric chloride that has had citric acid added to make what is called the Edinburgh Etch which uses four parts ferric chloride and one part citric acid solution (1 liter hot water mixed with 300ml citric acid powder).
The other two solutions are both straight ferric chloride, and the Edinburgh Etch solution that have been neutralized with baking soda in a misguided attempt to render them harmless. Any suggestions how to process these solutions would be greatly appreciated. I believe solving to this could help keep hundreds of gallons of waste from being illegally dumped into land fills and sewers. There is a large group of people etching art in addition to those making circuit boards and I believe many would benefit. Thank you again for all of your great videos!

Chad Thun - 2016-06-08

How can you convert the FeCl2 back into HCL for use in pickling steel?

Frank van Dijk - 2015-06-11

Would you mind if I took the information in this video and made it into an assignment for my students? I'd be showing them your video afterwards.

SMR MC - 2015-05-24

Hey NurdRage. I've been watching your videos for a while now and I've been thinking that you should set up a patreon account for your channel. It will help cover for the cost of any lab equipment (I'm no chemist so I don't exaclty know what you may need/want) and also allow for you to maintain a steady revenue from what you do.

Quake120 - 2015-05-23

NurdRage, what kind of gloves are sufficient for chemical protection for these kinds of things? Are nitrile exam gloves sufficient?

Albert Arias - 2015-05-25

Depending on the chemical nitrile gloves usually do the trick. At the bottom of most glove boxes they will list the chemicals and exposure time limits for the gloves.

Matt - 2015-05-24

I only understand about 20% of things you talk about, but for whatever reason I still find your videos extremely interesting :|

Martin of Gliwice - 2015-05-28

It would be cool, you tried electrolysis of different organic compounds (mainly carboxylic acids or amines). Surprisingly little is known about such a reactions.

MysteriusBhoice - 2015-05-23

FINALLY A VIDEO!!!

Brain&Force - 2015-05-23

Is there a way to directly convert the copper(I) chloride to copper metal without chemical waste?

Randy Wiggins - 2020-05-15

Is this the ferric iron yellow dust found on tomb floor that was used as poison dust? Was this only use it had back then?

Boydgado26 - 2015-06-20

If you dont mind asking, may i know where did you get the voice changer i find it so awesome :3? Also love your channel bro its cool 👌🏼

NErDy NErDs - 2015-05-24

I wish I knew you in real life. You certainly must be the coolest person ever to hang out with!

Qwertypp10 - 2015-05-24

Can I use MMO anode for CuSO4 electrolysis?

TheChemistryShack - 2015-06-11

What editing software do you use?

thebestofall007 - 2015-05-25

Can you remove the iron from the solution if you so wanted to?

Robert Bradbury - 2015-05-24

Please have a video on gold and silver recovery from pcb circuit boards.

Yoje - 2015-05-23

is it worth doing all this? it consumes a lot of energy its seems

Neo Geo - 2018-02-25

I read that Ferric Chloride can be made to etch faster by addition of Citric Acid to make a solution called 'Edinburgh Etch'.

I'm very curious to know if you've heard of this technique and if you could possibly talk about the mechanism of action and efficacy?

Love your channel btw, wish there was a subscriber level in patreon that would get us in more direct contact with you for this sort of discussion.

Be well

عربي مغربي - 2020-07-01

You said here Iron(II) Chloride oxidizes in air to form rust but in the making of iron(III) Chloride air transforms ferrous chloride to ferric why ?

Mimi - 2015-05-24

If Nurdrage could recover Copper and Iron, how to recover Platinum from PtCl4 ?!! :v

Mimi - 2015-06-01

@Cyberw4y ohhhhhh, the solubility. i hope those information works on your experiment :)

Bruno - 2015-06-01

Btw, I don't know if platinum is soluble in water. I considered it as not being soluble, but I may be incorrect.

If it is, you have to use silver or lead, and take care of the chlorine gas that escapes. There will be a precipitate of silver chloride or plumbous chloride, filter that then evaporate the remaining water. After evaporating the water, pure platinum should precipitate.

Mimi - 2015-06-07

Cyberw4y : Most Platinum ion are insoluble. Except the complex ion like Hexachloroplatinate (PtCl(6-)) that have different properties.

Bruno - 2015-06-07

@Raihan Danurdara Good, then my first method should work. Have you tried it already?

Mimi - 2015-06-08

@Cyberw4y unfortunately, it's reall expensive to afford a salt of platinum (the price we're super expensive)

SLENDER LORD - 2015-05-24

Oh nice one I want you to make a video about some chemicals and tiknology

Sficlassic - 2015-10-30

Instead of bubbling air could you use hydrogen peroxide?

NurdRage - 2015-10-30

+Sficlassic you could, but air is cheaper :)

1337_Vid305 - 2015-05-24

I'm not sure if you take suggestions, but it would be cool if you do a video on the "Blue Bottle" experiment.

Nícolas Busnello - 2015-05-28

Nurdrage , I want you to make a video showing how to make phosphorus pentoxide

Alex C - 2015-05-29

hey NR I was just looking at some info on the Journal of Chemical Education on Sulfamic acid (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ed020p189).  Seeing that they reference that it is used to make nitrous oxide, I naturally went to your page to see it.  You haven't done it yet, so consider this my request.

Eye Glitch - 2015-05-23

Cool video NurdRage! You are God of chemistry! ☺Can you make video about preparetion of potassium?

Valentin-Razvan Lupu - 2015-06-13

NurdRage is a gold plated anode good? because gold is the only non reactive metal I have on hand and I could do some electroplating to make a nice anode.

Blu Deat - 2015-05-23

please make video how to recycle iron from iron chloride

S.S RADON - 2018-11-26

how do i recycle pure ferric chloride...will simple distillation work?

Gordon - 2015-05-30

I am going to start the war now.
Ahem,ponies

Tycho343 - 2015-09-19

At which step the hydrochloric acid is created in this solution? At the time of etching, before or after it?

Bowowowification - 2016-11-23

Can I just ship it off somewhere and have it recycled for less cost than the original ferric chloride?

fakiirification - 2017-05-01

yes, you can take it to your local hazardous waste disposal location and give it to them. then buy you some fresh fecl. I personally like to use the hcl + peroxide formula for etchant, since it turns into CuCl as you use it more, and you can just aerate it with the aquarium stone/air pump to reactivate it, occasionally add a few ml of fresh acid to maintain acidity, and just keep using the same batch for a long long time. best part besides no waste to deal with for a long time, is that the HCL can be purchased cheap from home depot as "muriatic acid" by the pool chemicals for like 10 bucks, and peroxide is like 3 bucks for a liter at the drug store.

A Silver - 2015-06-14

I have magnesium and it has oxidised. What is the best method to remove the magnesium oxide?

Neo Geo - 2018-02-25

If you were using Ferric Chloride to dissolve Iron, Steel or Stainless Steel, what would be needed to recover / rejuvenate the spent etchant? I suspect just more HCL acid and then oxides again? Follow up - what happens to carbon, nickel and Chromium if etching Stainless Steel? Super practical reasons for asking - many thanks!

FramerTerminater - 2015-05-23

:O My lab has a large amount of left over ferric chloride etchant.  We physicists at the lab had no idea it could be recycled XD

horacio rodriguez - 2018-03-24

is more convenient and easy, to recover copper and ferric chloride,at same time, making an electrolitic cell with diaphragm, in one compartiment. 50%hydrocloric acid and in the other the waste ferric chloride,,,,electrodes made from graphite and a thin foil of cooper.,current density about 10 amp/inch2,,,,remember 96500 coulomb=1 mol of copper.=63 grs

Kash Kash - 2019-03-30

Sir. How to make nickel sulphate?

Dan Black - 2015-05-24

OMG i just now saw you are back!!!!!! YT didn't tell me that 10 months ago!!!! 
anyway Welcome back!!!

David Tooley - 2019-08-21

2:50 I think it was meant light green Iron 2 Chloride, not light green copper 2 chloride, easy mistake damn chloride tongue twisters

Harrison slack - 2015-06-01

What do you think would happen if you drunk liquid nitrogen because the whatever frost effect would stop it from touching you cause it's hotter on the inside of your body

Alex Lovato - 2015-05-23

Anyone else thunk this guy sounds like buffalo bill?


"It puts the lotion on the skin or it gets the hose again"

Justin Hall - 2015-05-23

@Ben-Rollo Carpenter. It was a joke.  Look up Buffalo Bill Silence of the Lambs.  He's got a weird low pitched voice.

thebestofall007 - 2015-05-25

@Alex Lovato He does, but without the accent Bill has.

Horny Reptilian - 2015-05-26

@Justin Hall Ok m8, dónt know that Buffalo bill, so. But now i looked it up and you are rright. 

Alex Lovato - 2015-05-27

.............................. you gonna buy me dinner first?

Boydgado26 - 2015-06-20

Sounds like arrow when he uses his little voice changer to talk to people :3

Hyzing - 2015-06-01

this guy reminds me of nighthawkinlight

GameExplorer0115 - 2015-05-23

OMG YOUR BACK!!!!!! :D :D :D

Archive Gaming - 2015-05-23

Yet again another goid video

richfiles π - 2015-05-23

@Ant Bunting Nu-uh! Copper :P

Drill Bit Exchange - 2017-10-05

Does anyone buy copper chloride?

Chris Greenaway - 2015-05-23

Having you already uploaded this?

EvilPlagueDoctor - 2015-05-23

@Chris Greenaway That's what I thought at first too, but this one is different :)

Joe H - 2015-06-04

Nice sweater