GB547005A - Improvement in or relating to the manufacture of metallic salts - Google Patents

Abstract

547,005. Ferric chloride. BURRAGE. L. J., BRUNDRIT. D.. and IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES. Ltd Feb. 7, 1941, No. 1650. [Class 1 (iii)] Anhydrous ferric chloride is prepared by reacting chlorine with a fused salt bath containing iron salts, mainly in the form of ferrous chloride, at a temperature at which ferric chloride is formed and volatilized and simultaneously or subsequently regenerating the ferrous chloride bath 'by reacting the ferric chloride medium formed with metallic iron. The ferric chloride is condensed from vapours containing excess chlorine. Alkali or alkaline earth chlorides may be present in the bath, whereby the retention of sufficient iron chloride in the bath is ensured, probably by formation of double salts. In a suitable apparatus for carrying out the process the reaction vessel 1, connected to a condenser 4, is divided by a vertical partition 9 having apertures 10, 11, and has pipes 12, 13 for the introduction of chlorine and an opening 16 for introduction of iron. In operation a mixture of sodium and calcium chlorides is introduced into the heated vessel, chlorine is passed in through the tube 13 and iron added through the opening 16, until a sufficient level of the bath containing fused ferrous chloride is obtained. The supply of chlorine through pipe 13 is then stopped and chlorine is passed in through pipe 12 with the production of ferric chloride, part of which is volatilized and passed to condenser 4. The residue probably in combination with sodium chloride is carried by circulation of the bath induced by the passage of the chlorine and as shown by the arrow through opening 11 to the other side of the partition and there takes up more iron to form ferrous chloride which returns through the opening 10 to react with further chlorine.