[sdiy] PCB etching and safety

[Ian Fritz]

Jim --

So ... what *do* you do with it?

I've heard of mixing it into some concrete, but I think it could still 
leach out over time.

   Ian


At 11:24 PM 1/7/2003, patchell wrote:
> >
> > Don't pour the spent Ferric Chl down the drain, it will melt your pipes.
>
>     Good advice from an environmental standpoint, it is not at all good for
>your septic tank (if you have one), and the people at the sewage treatment
>plant will get upset if they knew you did that.
>
>     As far as melting your pipes?...actually I have a funny story about
>that.  One of the places I worked for about 20 years ago would DIY PC boards
>for prototypes, and they used FeCl.  They would pour the stuff down the
>bathroom sink.  The drain pipe (trap) was Chrome Plated Brass pipe.  One day
>I noticed that the trap was dripping...I poked at the drip and my finger went
>right through the pipe...the only thing that was left was the chrome...I
>don't know how it was holding its shape.
>
>     If you have ABS sewer pipe like I do, FeCl will not touch that at all,
>still, don't pour it down the drain in any case, it just ain't good for what
>is down stream.