INTRADIFFUSION AND VISCOSITY MEASUREMENTS IN ACIDIFIED IRON(III) CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS AT 25-DEGREES-C

Intradiffusion of species in acidified (using either hydrochloric or perchloric acid) iron(III) chloride solutions has been studied using labeled iron(III), chloride and water. Comparison with data for iron(III) perchlorate has enabled the influence of complexed species upon the diffusion to be ascertained. The chloro-iron species formed have larger diffusion coefficients than the free iron(III) ion as would be expected from their lower net charge. Simple diffusion models have been employed to enable estimates of the diffusion of the complexed species and of the free chloride diffusion coefficients to be obtained. These are discussed in relation to literature data for similar systems. In addition estimates of the effective hydration of the iron(III) species in solutions have been obtained from the diffusion data. These are discussed in relation to two other trivalent metal salt systems, chromium chloride and lanthanum chloride; the overall hydration of the three cations is virtually identical.