Characteristic

 

Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula CaCl₂. It is a white coloured crystalline solid at room temperature, highly soluble in water.

Chemical formula：CaCl₂

Molar mass:110.98 g/mol

Appearance:White powder, hygroscopic

Odor:Odorless

Density :2.15 g/cm³ (anhydrous)

Melting point:772–775 °C (1,422–1,427 °F; 1,045–1,048 K) anhydrous;260 °C (500 °F; 533 K)monohydrate, decomposes;175 °C (347 °F; 448 K)dihydrate, decomposes;45.5 °C (113.9 °F; 318.6 K)tetrahydrate, decomposes;30 °C (86 °F; 303 K)hexahydrate, decomposes

Boiling point:1,935 °C (3,515 °F; 2,208 K) anhydrous

Solubility in water: Anhydrous:74.5 g/100 mL (20 °C)

Refractive index (nD):1.52

Viscosity :3.34 cP (787 °C);1.44 cP (967 °C)

Crystal structure:Orthorhombic 

 

Application

 

It is used as a drying and dehydrating agent for organic liquids and gases, and for solids in desiccators. Common applications include brine for refrigeration plants, ice and dust control on roads. Use of calcium chloride and urea has been reported to significantly increase average fruit weight and ascorbic acid content in pomegranate. The strawberry fruit storability can also be improved by edible coating of calcium chloride. It is used in drying tubes in research laboratories, salt/chemical based dehumidifiers, fire-extinguishders, plastics, ceramic slipware, as flux in the Davy process for the manufacture of sodium, and to increase water hardness in swimming pool. It provides inhibition of swelling clays in the water phase of invert emulsion drilling fluids. CaCl2-Pybox (pyridine flanked by two oxazoline groups) has been reported to be an efficient chiral catalyst for asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with nitroalkenes, affording gamma-nitro carbonyl compounds in high enantioselectivities.