Iron chloride dosage

Iron chloride ( FeCl₃, CAS No. 7705-08-0) is a metal salt widely used in the chemical, environmental and cosmetic industries. In aqueous solution, it acts as a , coagulating or astringent agent , depending on its area of ​​application.

The determination of iron chloride allows the determination of the iron content in liquid, solid or complex formulations, in order to control the quality of the product , its purity and its regulatory compliance .
This analysis is essential for:

• Check the exact concentration of Fe³⁺ in industrial or cosmetic products.
• Evaluate treatment performance in decontamination or flocculation processes.
• Control the quality of raw materials used in formulation or production.

Analytical methods used

The analysis of iron chloride is based on several complementary approaches, chosen according to the required precision and the nature of the sample:

• ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) : Reference method for the detection at very low concentrations (trace and ultra-trace) of iron and other metals.
• ICP-OES (or ICP-AES, plasma optical emission spectrometry) : suitable for medium to high concentrations , it allows simultaneous quantification of several metallic elements.
• AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) : robust alternative for the selective determination of iron in aqueous solutions.
• Redox titrimetry : used for rapid routine checks on simple samples, particularly in production monitoring.

These methods ensure complete traceability of results , in accordance with the requirements of ISO 11885 and NF EN ISO 17294 standards.

Affected matrices

The determination of iron chloride can be applied to many industrial and environmental matrices:

• Industrial aqueous solutions (water treatment agents, cleaning liquids, galvanizing baths).
• Cosmetic and dermatological products , where iron chloride is used as an astringent or stabilizing agent.
• Materials and polymers , to control iron migration in packaging or coatings.
• Environmental samples , including sludge, wastewater, industrial effluents and surface water .

Industrial and environmental applications

Iron chloride plays a key role in many processes:

• Water treatment : used as a flocculant in treatment plants to remove suspended solids and phosphorus.
• Metallurgical industry : used in stripping metals and regenerating etching baths.
• Cosmetics and dermatology : present in certain lotions or astringent formulas at low concentration.
• Control of packaging and polymers : monitoring of migratable metallic elements to verify the conformity of materials in contact with food.

Iron chloride analysis helps ensure chemical safety , product stability , and compliance with environmental standards for metal discharges.

Related analyses

For a more complete characterization of metals and metal salts, it is recommended to combine this test with:

• Total iron assay for overall assessment of metal content.
• The dosage of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, nickel) .
• The dosage of copper and zinc , often combined in industrial and environmental formulations.
• The dosage of manganese .

YesWeLab expertise

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Thanks to the YesWeLab digital platform , you can order your analyses, track your samples and consult your results online, simply and securely.

For any specific request, contact our scientific team to define the method best suited to your analytical needs.