Calcium Carbide (CaC2)-Powder

Characteristic

Cal­ci­um car­bide is a chem­i­cal com­pound of cal­ci­um and car­bon, and is a white crys­talline sub­stance when pure. It is ob­tained from the re­ac­tion.

Ca + 2C → CaC₂

Cal­ci­um car­bide has great prac­ti­cal sig­nif­i­cance. It is also known as cal­ci­um acetylide.

Cal­ci­um car­bide is not volatile and not sol­u­ble in any known sol­vent, and re­acts with wa­ter to yield acety­lene gas and cal­ci­um hy­drox­ide. Its den­si­ty is 2.22 g/cm³. Its melt­ing point is 2160 °C, and its boil­ing point is 2300 °C. Since the acety­lene that forms upon con­tact with wa­ter is flammable, the sub­stance is list­ed in haz­ard class 4.3.

Application

Applications of calcium carbide include manufacture of acetylene gas, and for generation of acetylene in carbide lamps; manufacture of chemicals for fertilizer; and in steelmaking.