Anhydrous calcium chloride is different from other forms of calcium chloride because it does not contain any water molecules, while other forms of calcium chloride contain varying amounts of water molecules per molecule of CaCl2.
Calcium chloride is a salty substance with numerous uses. It’s commonly used in pickles, as a thinning agent, firming agent for canned foods and an electrolyte.
Desiccant: Hydrophobic material that absorbs moisture from the air.
Anhydrous Calcium Chloride
What is it?
Anhydrous calcium chloride is a salt with the chemical formula CaCl2. It is a white powder that is severely irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract.
It is commonly used as a drying agent, de-icing agent, and in the food industry as a preservative and firming agent.
It is also used in the medical field to treat hypocalcemia and as a cardiac arrest medication. Anhydrous calcium chloride is available for purchase in powder form with a purity of 99.99%.
Applications
Calcium chloride is an extremely common and useful salt. It crystallizes as a colorless solid at room temperature, yet it’s highly soluble in water.
It has a high enthalpy change of solution, making it ideal for electrolytes in sports drinks and other beverages such as bottled water. It is also often used in pickles to give food an intense salty flavor without increasing sodium content.
In the oil and gas industry, sodium bicarbonate is employed in brines to lubricate well bits, remove cuttings, cool clay and shale hydration and control dust formation. It has also found uses in drilling muds to enhance performance.
Hygroscopic desiccants such as silica gel are used to absorb water from the air, creating a liquid layer which keeps the atmosphere dry.
Hygroscopic desiccant pole products like Aquadry Pole utilize silica gel for this purpose; they effectively keep containers dry by absorbing any moisture present inside them.
Purity
Calcium chloride is a naturally occurring salt with special properties that improve driving safety, filter pollutants from our air, and enhance product and process performance.
It’s used in numerous industrial applications like road salt for melting snow, desiccant to dry organic liquids and gases, refrigeration brines, antifreeze, and concrete hardener accelerator.
Calcium chloride, also known as pure calcium chloride, can be produced by reacting limestone with hydrochloric acid to form crystals. It’s also a by-product of the Solvay process (which produces soda ash) or produced through reaction between hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate.
Caution: Calcium chloride has a hygroscopic nature and the capacity to absorb moisture from the air, so its strength may vary. Therefore, many manufacturers only give ranges in product names instead of providing specific measurements.
Storage
Calcium chloride is a hygroscopic salt that absorbs moisture from the air. It finds use as a desiccant in numerous applications such as water purification and deicing.
Anhydrous calcium chloride should be stored in a cool, dry and ventilated area. Be sure to keep containers tightly closed and store away from incompatible materials and moisture.
This product is hygroscopic and may cause severe irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract if inhaled. If eaten, it could lead to burns in the mouth and throat, excessive thirst, vomiting, stomach pain and low blood pressure among other serious health effects.
Shelf Life
Anhydrous calcium chloride is a highly hygroscopic chemical, making it suitable for various applications such as packing drying tubes to exclude atmospheric moisture from reactions, desiccant use and the removal of suspended water in liquids.
Calcium Chloride is also commonly added as a hardness additive for drinks such as bottled water and electrolyte recovery drinks, in order to enhance their taste profiles.
In a blind taste test of popular bottled water brands, consumers found that waters with added calcium chloride had more pleasant tastes than those without.
Food Grade Calcium Chloride can enhance firmness and resistance to softening by stabilizing membrane systems and forming calcium pectates, which is beneficial for fruits and vegetables as it extends their shelf life.
What Are The Health Hazards Of Anhydrous Calcium Chloride?
Anhydrous calcium chloride is a hazardous substance that can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract, and may lead to burns and other health problems if ingested.
It is classified as a serious eye irritant and can cause skin burns. Inhalation of anhydrous calcium chloride can cause respiratory irritation.
In case of contact with the substance, it is recommended to remove contaminated clothes and rinse the affected area with plenty of water or shower. A physician should be consulted immediately.
It is important to handle anhydrous calcium chloride with protective gloves and safety goggles in combination with breathing protection.
How Is Anhydrous Calcium Chloride Different From Other Forms?
Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound that can exist in different forms. Anhydrous calcium chloride is the form that does not contain any water molecules while Calcium chloride dihydrate, on the other hand, contains two water molecules per CaCl2 molecule.
The molecular weight of the dihydrate form is 36 g/mol heavier than the anhydrous form due to the two additional water molecules.
Anhydrous calcium chloride has been approved by the FDA as a packaging aid. It is also used as a desiccant because it is hydroscopic and deliquescent.
Calcium chloride dihydrate is mainly used for de-icing and dust control. Both forms of calcium chloride are sources of “free” calcium and chloride ions when dissolved in water.
