Characteristic

Calcium hypochlorite is an inorganic compound with formula Ca(ClO)₂. It is the main active ingredient of commercial products called bleaching powder, chlorine powder, or chlorinated lime, used for water treatment and as a bleaching agent. This compound is relatively stable and has greater available chlorine than sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach). It is a white solid, although commercial samples appear yellow. It strongly smells of chlorine, owing to its slow decomposition in moist air. It is not highly soluble in hard water, and is more preferably used in soft to medium-hard water. It has two forms: dry (anhydrous); and hydrated (hydrous).

Chemical formula:Ca(ClO)₂

Molar mass: 142.98 g/mol

Appearance: white/gray powder

Density: 2.35 g/cm³ (20 °C)

Melting point: 100 °C (212 °F; 373 K)

Boiling point :175 °C (347 °F; 448 K) decomposes

Solubility in water:21 g/100 mL at 25 °C

Solubility:reacts in alcohol

Application

Deodorant, oxidizing agent, bleaching agentCalcium hypochlorite is used for swimming pool sanitation and other water treatment plants. It is also used to disinfect drinking water, equipments in the industry and surfaces and equipments in kitchens. Further, it is used to bleach textiles and paper. It is also employed in bathroom cleaners and laundry detergents. It is used as an oxidizing agent in organic chemistry. It is involved in the cleavage of glycols, alfa-hydroxy carboxylic acids and keto acids to yield fragmented aldehydes or carboxylic acids respectively. It plays an important role in the haloform reaction to prepare chloroform.