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CuCl

CuCl

2005-03-02 by Naveed Alam

I bought a copper board. The shop-keeper also gave
CuCl but that is in the solid form. Can anyone tell me
about the proportions of water and this solid used to
prepare solution for etching. Can I also use some
other chemical to improve the etching process or make
it faster. It's black in colour. Is it OK?



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Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl

2005-03-02 by Stefan Trethan

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 21:04:21 -0800 (PST), Naveed Alam
<naveedguy2@...> wrote:

> I bought a copper board. The shop-keeper also gave
> CuCl but that is in the solid form. Can anyone tell me
> about the proportions of water and this solid used to
> prepare solution for etching. Can I also use some
> other chemical to improve the etching process or make
> it faster. It's black in colour. Is it OK?


If it is really CuCl you can use it, i think there is some text in the
links section about this black powder and how to prepare it.
My gut feeling is a flame should turn blue (maybe green) if you put a
small amount of powder in.

In any case, you need HCl (Hydrochloric acid), which provides the Cl for
forming more CuCl from the copper on the PCB.


Also, you need either a air bubbler, or H2O2 to regenerate the etchant
(The added oxygen makes the Cl free from the HCl by forming water i
think). I suggest a bubbler in any case because it is cheap (10eur
aquarium airpump) and it speeds up etching dramatically. I prefer H2O2 for
regenerating, because it isn't expensive and "instant" rather than tedious
bubbling.

ST

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl

2005-03-02 by Adam Seychell

Naveed Alam wrote:
> I bought a copper board. The shop-keeper also gave
> CuCl but that is in the solid form. Can anyone tell me
> about the proportions of water and this solid used to
> prepare solution for etching. Can I also use some
> other chemical to improve the etching process or make
> it faster. It's black in colour. Is it OK?

Ask the the shop keeper. The molecular formula for CuCl is Cu2Cl2, and
is called cuprous chloride or copper(I) chloride, its a white powder,
unstable in water and oxygen and even decomposes in light. How do you
know its CuCl ?

Adam

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl

2005-03-02 by Leon Heller

----- Original Message -----
From: "Adam Seychell" <a_seychell@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 9:37 AM
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl


>
> Naveed Alam wrote:
>> I bought a copper board. The shop-keeper also gave
>> CuCl but that is in the solid form. Can anyone tell me
>> about the proportions of water and this solid used to
>> prepare solution for etching. Can I also use some
>> other chemical to improve the etching process or make
>> it faster. It's black in colour. Is it OK?
>
> Ask the the shop keeper. The molecular formula for CuCl is Cu2Cl2, and
> is called cuprous chloride or copper(I) chloride, its a white powder,
> unstable in water and oxygen and even decomposes in light. How do you
> know its CuCl ?

If it's black, it is probably anhydrous ferric chloride. I used to buy it
like that, many years ago.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller



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Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl

2005-03-02 by Stefan Trethan

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 09:44:45 -0000, Leon Heller <leon.heller@...>
wrote:

>
> If it's black, it is probably anhydrous ferric chloride. I used to buy it
> like that, many years ago.
> Leon
> --
> Leon Heller, G1HSM
> http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller


There was mentioned some time back some form of copper powder is sold as
pigment in arts stores, it is black or brown i think.
Maybe it is that, but i wouldn't expect that is sold in a electronics
store, while FeCl is highly likely.
There was a document describing how to convert the "pigment" copper into
CuCl.

ST

CuCl disposal, "flip stick", burning

2005-03-02 by Stefan Trethan

Hi,

remember the "flip stick" source for CuCl?
It is simply thrown into the fire and burnt.

I wonder, would that be a appropriate way to dispose of excess CuCl?
If one neutralizes the HCl with NaOh or something else, then evaporates
the water, and then burns the crystals?

If flip sticks containing copper cloride are burnt it can't be bad???
Get rid of the "overgrowth" of CuCl and clean the oven at the same time.

Any thoughts welcome.


ST

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl disposal, "flip stick", burning

2005-03-02 by Leon Heller

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Trethan" <stefan_trethan@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 10:41 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl disposal, "flip stick", burning


>
> Hi,
>
> remember the "flip stick" source for CuCl?
> It is simply thrown into the fire and burnt.
>
> I wonder, would that be a appropriate way to dispose of excess CuCl?
> If one neutralizes the HCl with NaOh or something else, then evaporates
> the water, and then burns the crystals?
>
> If flip sticks containing copper cloride are burnt it can't be bad???
> Get rid of the "overgrowth" of CuCl and clean the oven at the same time.
>
> Any thoughts welcome.

Extract the copper by electrolysis and sell it. 8-)

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller


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Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl disposal, "flip stick", burning

2005-03-02 by Adam Seychell

Stefan Trethan wrote:

> Hi,
>
> remember the "flip stick" source for CuCl?
> It is simply thrown into the fire and burnt.
>
> I wonder, would that be a appropriate way to dispose of excess CuCl?
> If one neutralizes the HCl with NaOh or something else, then evaporates
> the water, and then burns the crystals?
>
> If flip sticks containing copper cloride are burnt it can't be bad???
> Get rid of the "overgrowth" of CuCl and clean the oven at the same time.
>
> Any thoughts welcome.
>


Copper(II) oxide is black/brown powder. You'll get this if you heat
copper chloride pretty hot. All you do is make the copper insoluble so
its much less likely to leach in soil.

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] CuCl disposal, "flip stick", burning

2005-03-02 by Stefan Trethan

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 22:40:21 +1100, Adam Seychell
<a_seychell@...> wrote:

>
> Copper(II) oxide is black/brown powder. You'll get this if you heat
> copper chloride pretty hot. All you do is make the copper insoluble so
> its much less likely to leach in soil.


so how do flip-sticks work?
the copper oxide ends up in the ash and all they produce is chlorine? or
what?
why can't chemistry be as easy as electronics???

ST

Re: CuCl disposal, "flip stick", burning

2005-03-03 by Dave

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan"
<stefan_trethan@g...> wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 11:26:35 -0000, Leon Heller <leon.heller@d...>
> wrote:
>
> >
> > Extract the copper by electrolysis and sell it.
> > Leon
> > --
> > Leon Heller, G1HSM
> > http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller
>
>
> That's not that easy 'cause it produces heaps of chlorine gas.
>
> ST

Not if the Chlorine reacts with the positive electrode material.
I've had some success with a very limited trial of extracting
Copper using an Iron electrode with electrolysis.

Dave