Discard ferric chloride

[cobito]

Hello. I have recently started in the world of PCB creation. The issue is that I am inevitably generating waste and I would like to know how to dispose of it. I have contacted the local waste disposal site in my city and they told me that they do not handle that type of waste: only paints, motor oils, and a few other things.

Do you know of any environmentally acceptable (and legal) way to dispose of spent ferric chloride?

Thank you.

[Sylver]

Damn scientist, you're a genius :ugly:

I've read around that the selective collection centers take care of it, but I don't know how that works nowadays.

An interesting link with information on how to neutralize the waste (more or less, that's what I've read):

What to do with ferric chloride? - Foros Electrónica - Community about electronics in Spain

Regards

[cobito]

Thanks for the info. The truth is that I had already read that link. I have read dozens of threads in both Spanish and English but at best they say how to neutralize it: with baking soda or with caustic soda, but they don't say where to throw the result.

I'm afraid that what people do is dilute it in water and throw it down the drain <:(

The thing about selective collection centers I think is the equivalent of the eco-point (at least in Granada it is like that), so it doesn't serve me.

I will continue looking for information and I will contact the environment department to see what they say.

[whoololon]

…and do not you produce copper chloride waste?

[Sylver]

Maybe you have to send them to a big city, like Valencia or Barcelona, where the recycling centers are more specialized than in Andalusia without a doubt...

Best regards

[Franziskaner]

hello
why do you use ferric chloride?
regards

[cobito]

@Franziskaner:

hola
¿por que usas cloruro férrico?
saludos

¿Por qué no?

[Franziskaner]

electronics is not my strong point ;D one of my brothers many years ago (when he was studying) also had a go at PCB plating and also with ferric chloride. but recently, talking to a CNC machine maintenance technician (the conversation was about the price of buying PCB circuits, making them yourself, milling them with a CNC etc) the topic of ferric chloride came up and the guy told me that it was "a bit of a gimmick" that the most practical thing is, acid and hydrogen peroxide 110/113 ;D
I've been looking around and in many forums they mention this option, and I think they are much easier to recycle than ferric chloride.
regards
P.D an example that more or less explains how to do it
Printed Circuits in 10'

[cobito]

Ferric chloride oxidizes copper and causes a horizontal attack, that is, it attacks from top to bottom giving the best results compared to other substances.

The fact that it is a gimmick is a matter of opinions: with ferric chloride you will get better results and you will throw fewer plates in the trash. Especially when it comes to thin tracks. Other methods also work but worse.

Anyway I don't plan to generate a lot of waste: I doubt I will reach a liter and a half because from there comes the moment to acquire a CNC milling machine.

[Franziskaner]

@cobito:

Ferric chloride oxidizes copper and causes a horizontal attack, that is, it attacks from top to bottom giving the best results compared to other substances.

The fact that it is a gimmick is a matter of opinions: with ferric chloride you will get better results and you will throw fewer plates in the trash. Especially when it comes to thin tracks. Other methods also work but worse.

Anyway I don't plan to generate a lot of waste: I doubt I will reach a liter and a half because from there comes the moment to acquire a CNC milling machine.

the gimmick is the opinion of the guy who commented to you.
about whether it looks good or not I can only tell you what I have read and according to opinions, for tastes there are colors.
about the CNC milling machine I already discussed it in its day and it is not a very good idea
about the waste as according to Sylver you are from Andalusia and I looked at the following link
:: Clean points :: Consejería of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment :: Junta de Andalucía
and the truth is that they are a bit "simple" in half of Spain it seems that they accept chemical products and in the points that I have looked at in Andalusia no :eoh:
as a solution I would ask at the store where you bought the ferric chloride or the components
greetings

[Franziskaner]

I think this is your solution:
Copper and iron are heavy metals that should not be poured into the environment because they are highly polluting.

When the plate is inserted, the following chemical reaction occurs:

2HCl+H2O2+2Cu –> CuCl+H20+Cl+1/2O2

That is, what remains in the container is copper chloride and water. Some of the chlorine comes out in the form of gas, as well as oxygen.

If we oxidize this copper chloride with air, we can obtain copper oxychloride, which is the most widely used plant fungicide (for killing fungi) in organic farming. It combats diseases such as mildew that attack a wide variety of plants.

I know that for you, who are mostly computer scientists, electronics, etc., this sounds like Chinese, but it is an idea I give you to recycle something you don't know how to dispose of and that often ends up in the drain. If you have a garden, you can apply it very diluted in water by spraying it on the leaves.

source:
Association of Robotics and Domótica de España • View Topic - How to regenerate Ferric Chloride
greetings

[cobito]

Perfect, that's what I needed. I just have to get myself an oxygenator of the kind used in aquariums.

From what I've been able to read, copper oxychloride has very low toxicity and is not only used in gardening but also in organic farming.

[Franziskaner]

well I'm glad to have been useful ;D
so you can kill two birds with one stone, on the one hand the peace of mind of not contaminating and on the other healthy plants (you can also grow a garden ;D )
regards