Basic properties and uses of calcium chloride

Basic Properties
Physical Properties: Calcium chloride is usually a white solid, with various forms such as granule, block or powder. It is easily soluble in water, and will release a lot of heat when dissolved, and its aqueous solution is neutral. Calcium chloride has strong hygroscopicity and is easily deliquesced in the air.
Chemical Properties: Calcium chloride can react with many substances, for example, it can react with carbonate to produce calcium carbonate precipitate, and react with sulfate to produce calcium sulfate precipitate and so on. It can also have replacement reaction with some metals.
Main uses
Road snow-melting agent: Calcium chloride is one of the commonly used road snow-melting agents. When it dissolves, it releases heat, which can make the snow melt quickly, lower the freezing point of water, prevent the road from freezing, and protect the traffic safety. At the same time, calcium chloride is relatively less polluting to the environment, and the damage to plants and soil is lower than some other snow melting agents.
Desiccant: Calcium chloride is commonly used as desiccant due to its strong hygroscopicity. It is used to absorb moisture in the air, keep the environment dry, and prevent the items from moisture deterioration in food, medicine, electronics and other industries. For example, calcium chloride desiccant is put into the package of some precision instruments to protect the instruments from moisture and rust.
Construction industry: Adding calcium chloride to concrete can accelerate the speed of concrete solidification and improve the early strength of concrete, especially in winter construction, it can effectively prevent concrete from freezing. In addition, Calcium Chloride can be used to improve the physical properties of soil and increase the permeability and water permeability of soil.
Food industry: Calcium chloride can be used as food additives, such as in the production of soybean products as a coagulant, so that the soybean milk coagulation into tofu; in the canned food, can increase the hardness and crispness of the food; can also be used in the preservation of food and pickling, to extend the shelf life of the food.
Pharmaceutical industry: calcium chloride also has important applications in the field of medicine, can be used to treat calcium deficiency, such as hand and foot convulsions, rickets, etc.; can also be used for anti-allergy, as an antidote to magnesium poisoning and so on. Calcium chloride can also be used as excipient in some pharmaceutical preparations.
Chemical industry: Calcium chloride is an important raw material for the preparation of other calcium compounds, such as calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide and so on. It can also be used in the petroleum mining industry as an additive to drilling fluid, which plays a role in stabilizing the well wall and preventing well collapse.