Answer

Which iron source? Five products compared

Two of these are ferrous, two are ferric, one is a chelate, and one is a solution rather than a solid. They are not variants of one product.

The short answer. On our published grades: ferrous sulphate monohydrate 30% Fe, ferrous sulphate heptahydrate 19-20% Fe, ferric sulphate 18-23% Fe, ferric chloride 40% solution, EDTA Fe 12-13% Chelated Fe. Note that ferric chloride is quoted as a solution strength, not as an iron percentage, so it does not belong in the same column as the others.

Ferrous and ferric are not interchangeable

The two ferrous sulphates and the two ferric products are different chemistry, not different strengths of the same thing. A specification that calls for one will not be satisfied by the other, whatever the iron figure says. If your specification names an iron compound, order that compound; if it names an iron content and leaves the form open, tell us and we will tell you which we would supply.

What each product publishes

ProductFormulaGrade publishedStandard packing
Ferrous Sulphate MonohydrateFeSO₄·H₂O30% Fe50 kg net, HDPE bag
Ferrous Sulphate HeptahydrateFeSO₄·7H₂O19-20% Fe50 kg net, HDPE bag
Ferric SulphateFe₂(SO₄)₃18-23% Fe50 kg net, HDPE bag
Ferric ChlorideFeCl₃40% solution50 kg net, HDPE bag
EDTA Fe (Iron)C₁₀H₁₂FeN₂NaO₈12-13% Chelated Fe50 kg net, HDPE bag

Every grade in this table is the figure published on that product’s own page on this site. Nothing is estimated. The guaranteed analysis on the product page and the batch certificate of analysis govern any supply.

A solution is priced differently from a solid

Ferric chloride is published as a 40% solution. Everything about buying it differs from buying a bagged solid: how it is packed, how it is handled, how freight is costed, and what the delivered price per kilogram of iron actually works out at. Do not compare a per-kilogram price for a solution against a per-kilogram price for a bagged solid and treat the smaller number as the better deal.

Ferric chloride is also widely used in water and wastewater treatment, one of the sectors covered by our product selector.

How to compare two quotes honestly

Where two products carry the same element at different strengths, the price per kilogram of bag is not a comparison. Divide the delivered price per kilogram by the element fraction and you get the cost per kilogram of the thing you are actually buying. That is the only basis on which grades of different strength can be set against each other.

Our nutrient cost comparison calculator does that arithmetic on any two products in our range and prints its working, and the element content calculator converts between kilograms of product and kilograms of the element. Freight follows the same logic: moving a weaker grade means paying to move more material that is not the element.

Which one should you buy?

That is decided by your process, and by things we cannot see from here: how the product is applied, what it is blended with, what has to dissolve and how fast, the specification you or your customer must meet, and how far the material travels. Any supplier who answers that question without asking about your process is guessing.

We manufacture the alternatives set out above, so we have no reason to steer you toward the dearer one. Describe the application and we will tell you what we would send and why, including when the cheaper grade is the right answer.

What to send us for a quote

Four things let us price these products without a round of questions: the grade, the quantity, the delivery location, and any specification you have to meet. Send those and we come back with a price, the packing, and the documents that travel with the consignment. There is more detail on what to send us for a quote.

Working to a specification? Send it and we will tell you plainly whether we can meet it before you commit to anything.

Questions buyers ask

Which iron source? Five products compared: frequently asked questions

Which iron product has the highest iron content?
Of the solids quoted on element content, ferrous sulphate monohydrate at 30% Fe.
Can I substitute ferric sulphate for ferrous sulphate?
Not on the iron figure alone. They are different compounds and a specification naming one is not met by the other. Send us the specification and we will advise.
Why is ferric chloride quoted as a percentage solution?
Because it is supplied as a solution rather than a bagged solid. The 40% figure is the solution strength.
Does Taskon manufacture EDTA chelated iron?
Yes, published at 12-13% chelated Fe, alongside five other EDTA chelates.

Need a price?

Send the grade, the quantity and the delivery location and we will quote against them.