Calcium chloride

Description

The anhydrous form of calcium chloride is very Hygroscopic and thus used as a Desiccant. Calcium chloride also exists as dihydrate and hexahydrate crystals; these crystalline forms are used in antifreeze solutions, fire extinguishers, fireproofing solutions, wood preservatives, as a gelling agent for Starch size and to melt snow and ice from roads. Calcium chloride was used to speed up the rate of cure in Mortar, Shotcrete, and dry-mix Concrete until 1973 when it was replaced by a non-chloride accelerator because it corroded Steel reinforcements. Very small amounts of calcium chloride are used in food preparation as a sequestrant, firming agent or to increase calcium content.

Risks

• Contact may cause irritation
• Reaction with water is exothermic
• Ingestion may cause burns
• LabChem: MSDS

Physical and Chemical Properties

Soluble in water (with the evolution of heat). pH = 8 - 9

Composition	CaCl2
CAS	10043-52-4
Melting Point	772 C
Density	2.152 g/ml
Molecular Weight	mol. wt. = 110.98
Boiling Point	>1600 C

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 140

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

• Book and Paper Group, Paper Conservation Catalog, AIC, 1984, 1989

• Thomas C. Jester (ed.), Twentieth-Century Building Materials, McGraw-Hill Companies, Washington DC, 1995

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

• The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 1630