Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula CaCl2. It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrochloric acid with calcium hydroxide.
Calcium chloride is commonly encountered as a hydrated solid with generic formula CaCl2·nH2O, where n = 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6. These compounds are mainly used for de-icing and dust control. Because the anhydrous salt is hygroscopic and deliquescent, it is used as a desiccant.
Calcium chloride is commonly used in various industries due to its versatile properties. The percentages you mentioned, 77% and 94%, usually refer to the concentration of calcium chloride in a solution or the purity of the solid form. Here are some typical uses for calcium chloride in different industries:
The concentration of the calcium chloride solution or its purity will determine its suitability for specific applications. For example, higher concentrations (like 94%) might be used in more demanding applications or where a more concentrated solution is needed.
Chemical formula | CaCl2 |
Molar mass | 110.98 g·mol-1 |
Appearance | White hygroscopic powder |
Odor | Odorless |
Density | 2.15 g/cm3 (anhydrous) |
| 2.24 g/cm3 (monohydrate) |
| 1.85 g/cm3 (dihydrate) |
| 1.83 g/cm3 (tetrahydrate) |
| 1.71 g/cm3 (hexahydrate)[1] |
Melting point | 772–775 °C (1,422–1,427 °F; 1,045–1,048 K) |
| anhydrous[5] |
| 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[5] |
| 30 °C (86 °F; 303 K) |
| hexahydrate, decomposes[1] |
Boiling point | 1,935 °C (3,515 °F; 2,208 K) anhydrous[1] |
Solubility in water | Anhydrous: |
| 74.5 g/100 mL (20 °C)[2] |
| Hexahydrate: |
| 49.4 g/100 mL (-25 °C) |
| 59.5 g/100 mL (0 °C) |
| 65 g/100 mL (10 °C) |
| 81.1 g/100 mL (25 °C)[1] |
| 102.2 g/100 mL (30.2 °C) |
| a-Tetrahydrate: |
| 90.8 g/100 mL (20 °C) |
| 114.4 g/100 mL (40 °C) |
| Dihydrate: |
| 134.5 g/100 mL (60 °C) |
| 152.4 g/100 mL (100 °C)[3] |
Solubility | Soluble in acetic acid, alcohols |
| Insoluble in liquid ammonia, |
| dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), |
| ethyl acetate |
Solubility in ethanol | 18.3 g/100 g (0 °C) |
| 25.8 g/100 g (20 °C) |
| 35.3 g/100 g (40 °C) |
| 56.2 g/100 g (70 °C)[4] |
Solubility in methanol | 21.8 g/100 g (0 °C) |
| 29.2 g/100 g (20 °C) |
| 38.5 g/100 g (40 °C)[4] |
Solubility in acetone | 0.1 g/kg (20 °C)[4] |
Solubility in pyridine | 16.6 g/kg[4] |
Acidity (pKa) | 8–9 (anhydrous) |
| 6.5–8.0 (hexahydrate) |
Magnetic susceptibility (?) | -5.47·10-5 cm3/mol[1] |
Refractive index (nD) | 1.52 |
Viscosity | 3.34 cP (787 °C) |
| 1.44 cP (967 °C)[4] |
Available Packing
