Ferric Chloride

Ferric chloride — otherwise known as flocculant, iron trichloride, or iron(III) chloride — is often found in the form of an aqueous solution that can be anywhere from colorless to light brown in appearance with a faint hydrochloric acid odor. It is a chemical compound consisting of iron and chlorine. Much ferric chloride is recycled from a liquid left behind in the steel-making process. Without ferric chloride, a clear, clean public supply of water of any sort would be difficult to obtain.