Iron(III) sulfide
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
Iron(III) sulfide
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| Other names
Iron sesquisulfide
Ferric sulfide | |
| Identifiers | |
| ChEBI | |
PubChem CID
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |
| Fe2S3 | |
| Molar mass | 207.90 g/mol [1] |
| Appearance | yellow-green [1] |
| Density | 4.3 g/cm3 [1] |
| Melting point | decomposition [1] |
| very slightly soluble [1] | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Iron(III) sulfide, also known as ferric sulfide or sesquisulfide, is one of the three iron sulfides besides FeS and FeS2. It is a solid, black powder but decays at ambient temperature into a yellow-green powder.
This is a relatively unstable artificial product that does not occur in nature.
Preparation and properties
Sources
Fe2S3 is prepared by addition of refrigerated iron(III) chloride solution to also cooled sodium sulfide solution.
- 2 FeCl3 + 3 Na2S → Fe2S3↓ + 6 NaCl
It is also produced as a side-product of desulfurization of fuel gasses. The gas is pumped through a container of hydrated iron(III) oxide, which combines with hydrogen sulfide.
- Fe
2O
3(s) + H
2O(l) + 3 H
2S(g) → Fe
2S
3(s) + 4 H
2O(l)
Reactions
Iron(III) sulfide decays at a temperature over 20°C into FeS and sulphur.[2]
- Fe2S3 → 2 FeS + S↓
With hydrochloric acid it decays according to the following reaction equation:[3]
- Fe2S3 + 4 HCl → 2 FeCl2 + 2 H2S↑ + S↓