Ferrous Chloride Properties

Description

Ferrous chloride has a high melting point, paramagnetic solid, usually obtained as an off-white solid. It crystallizes from water as the greenish tetrahydrate, which is the form that is most commonly encountered in commerce and the laboratory. Ferrous chloride has a variety of niche applications, but the related compounds ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride enjoy more applications. Aside from use in the laboratory synthesis of iron complexes, ferrous chloride serves as a reducing flocculating agent in wastewater treatment, especially for wastes containing chromate. It is the precursor to hydrated iron(III) oxides that are magnetic pigments. Ferrous chloride is employed as a reducing agent in many organic synthesis reactions.