Ferric Chloride Solution: Iron Dissolved in Hydrochloric Acid and Saturated with Chlorine

Ferric chloride solution, the method Thorpe's Dictionary (1912) prefers: dissolve iron in hydrochloric acid, then pass chlorine through until the liquid is saturated. Finally drive all the chlorine out with a stream of carbon dioxide through the warm liquid. Strong solution is dark brown and oily; diluted it is pale yellow. Chlorine is a poison gas: fume hood, closed apparatus. The picture: our diagram.