Goodby Ferric Chloride...

[plankspank]

And good riddance. Just tried etching a board the first time with the HCl (Muriatic acid) & H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) method, it worked great- fast (4-5 min) and left nice clean copper traces.The local hardware store had a gallon jug of 31% Muriatic for $5. Mixed it with a ratio of 1 part HCL : 3 parts Peroxide. Can't beat the price...

[eurekaiv]

I just did some boards the other day with this stuff and man, it works SO much better then the sodium persulfate I was using.  Only this is, how do you dispose of the waste material?  Adding baking soda turned it into this awful brown sludge and it took A TON to neutralize it.   

[SonicVI]

You could put a chunk of limestone (CaCO3) in it

[raycroft]

according to this tutorial http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/, you just store it, and re-use it.  Don't throw it out.  It's better for the environment!

[John Lyons]

I reuse mine as layed out in that article although the used stuff takes 3 times as long to etch a board.
I use a fish tank "bubbler" and keep the solution well oxygenated. I mix in some fresh Muratic here and there as well.
It does work to reuse it but it's slower...sigh...

john

[Solidhex]

Yeah
 
  I love a fresh batch of the muriatic/peroxide. Works sooooo fast. Its always a bummer to bust it out again and have it do next to nothing.

--Brad

[plankspank]

Only this is, how do you dispose of the waste material?

Where I live, we have a hazardous waste recycling facility. After use, I dump it in a gallon glass jug, When it's full, I take it to them, along with my used motor oil, old paint, ect...

[GibsonGM]

If you neutralize it, it's harmless. People clean brick work outdoors w/the HCL, and flush it with water.    Baking soda, and/or extreme dilution w/water should be fine.
(former Environmental Consultant here...)

[Wheeman]

If you neutralize it, it's harmless. People clean brick work outdoors w/the HCL, and flush it with water.    Baking soda, and/or extreme dilution w/water should be fine.
(former Environmental Consultant here...)

Don't forget about the copper salts left in the solution as well! Thats one of the nastier parts if not disposed of properly.

I disposed of my last jar of solution through my high school. My chemistry teacher is pretty awesome  .

[eurekaiv]

If you neutralize it, it's harmless. People clean brick work outdoors w/the HCL, and flush it with water.    Baking soda, and/or extreme dilution w/water should be fine.
(former Environmental Consultant here...)

It's my understanding that it's not so much the acid as it is the copper leftover in the solution that's bad for the environment.  Any chemists here know what the awful poop water brown stuff you make when you dilute with baking soda is?  It looks more menacing then the blue acid water that's for sure.

In any case, I think I'm going to start putting it in a glass jar and taking it someone for disposal.  I've got a huge glass jug with a rubber stopper top I can use.  There's no way I'm going back to something else after I've seen how much better this stuff works.