Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene" <gene@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 8:52 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Getting ready to switch from Ferric Chloride to
???????


> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "lcdpublishing"
> <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi guys,
>>
>> I have been using Ferric Chloride for a few years now - works fine
>> and is easy to get and dispose of when spent. The downside is the
>> mess.
>>
>
> I recall reading an article about a fellow who "regenerated" his
> Ferric Chloride by using electrolysis. He'd use iron for (I think)
> the cathode and a copper target for the anode. He'd pass a DC
> current through the solution, plating the copper out of the solution
> and substituting iron.
>
> In this way he'd remove the copper chloride and substitute iron
> chloride, "regenerating" the solution for more use.

It can be regenerated with H2O2 and HCl, of course. The original ferric
chloride will still be present, with cupric chloride, which is also an
etchant.

Leon