What Is the Mysterious Liquid Produced When Steel Is Mixed with Vinegar?

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The discussion revolves around the chemical reaction between steel and vinegar, resulting in a deep red liquid with orange particles. Participants explore the nature of the liquid, questioning whether it is a solution or suspension, and if it contains Iron (III) Oxide (Fe2O3) or Iron Acetate. The reaction is attributed to the acetic acid in vinegar interacting with iron, potentially forming Iron Acetate, which can appear brown/red in solid form. There is speculation about the presence of Fe2O3, which is non-magnetic and would settle out of the solution. The color changes observed, from orange to blood red, suggest various iron compounds are present. Suggestions for further analysis include precipitating compounds to identify ions in the solution, such as using Sodium Hydroxide to form Iron Hydroxide, which can then be converted to Iron Oxide for magnetic property testing. The conversation emphasizes the need for careful experimentation to analyze the components of the liquid without contamination.
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I mixed steel with vinegar and what resulted was a deep red liquid and some orange particles at the bottom. What is this liquid? Is it Fe2O3? If not then what, and is Fe2O3 magnetic?
 
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Was the steel totally submerged in the liquid, or was it exposed to air too?

Is the red liquid a solution or suspension? Are there just red particles floating around in the liquid which will eventually settle if left undisturned, or is the liquid itself red?

I suspect the Iron in the steel reacted with the acetic acid (vinegar) and formed Iron Acetate. According to my CRC book, "Iron (III) Acetate, Basic" FeOH(C2H3O2)2 is brown/red in solid form (but this is insoluble in water), and according to wikipedia, Iron (II) Acetate forms a light-green tetrahyrate, so these might be contributing to the color of the liquid.
And it is also possible for some Fe2O3 (non-magnetic) to have formed as well, which is also reddish brown, but will not dissolve in solution, it will settle out after a while.
 
It was brown after the liquid evaporated off but the liquid was orange then some light orange particles settled to the bottom and the liquid became almost blood red.
 
How badly do you want to know what the liquid (or rather, what is dissolved in the liquid) is?
You could start precipitating out various compounds to analyze. For example, there is likely some Fe+? (Likely Fe+2) ions in solution, you could add some Sodium Hydroxide and precipitate out Iron Hydroxide. Iron Hydroxide is quite easy to convert to Iron Oxide through heating. Based on its color and magnetic properties you could figure out of it is Fe2O3 or Fe3O4 (or FeO). You could also try to oxidize or reduce whatever is in solution with a strong oxidizing/reducing agent (Potassium Permanganate for example, or Aluminum/Zinc). There are various "games" you can play to try to identify what ions are present in the solution. Of course you would want to perform all these tests separately on smaller samples, to avoid contaminating your stock of mystery liquid.
 
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