Calcium hypochlorite or Calcium oxychloride

Names
Other names
Hypochlorous acid, calcium salt
Bleaching powder, Calcium oxychloride
Identiers
CAS Number 7778-54-3

3D model (Jmol) Interactive image

ChemSpider 22912

ECHA InfoCard 100.029.007

EC Number 231-908-7
PubChem 24504
RTECS number NH3485000
UN number 1748

InChI
InChI=1S/Ca.2ClO/c;2*1-2/q+2;2*-1
Key:ZKQDCIXGCQPQNV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
InChI=1/Ca.2ClO/c;2*1-2/q+2;2*-1
Key:ZKQDCIXGCQPQNV-UHFFFAOYAV

SMILES
[Ca+2].[O-].Cl.[O-].Cl

Properties
Chemical formula Ca(OCl)2
Molar mass 142.98 g/mol
Appearance white/gray powder
Density 2.35 g/cm3 (20 C)
Melting point 100C (212F; 373K)
Boiling point 175C (347F; 448K) decomposes
Solubility in water 21 g/100 mL, reacts
Solubility reacts in alcohol
Hazards
Safety data sheet ICSC 0638
EUclassication (DSD)
O (O)
 C (C)

Xn (Xn)

N (N)

R-phrases R8, R22, R31, R34, R50

S-phrases (S1/2), S26, S36/37/39, S45, S61
NFPA 704
0
3 1
OX

Flash point Non-flammable

Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose) 850 mg/kg (oral, rat)
Related compounds
Other anions Calcium chloride
Other cations Sodium hypochlorite
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in theirstandard state (at 25C [77F], 100kPa).
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Infoboxreferences

Calcium hypochlorite is an inorganic compound with formula Ca(ClO)2. As a mixture with lime and
calcium chloride, it is marketed as chlorine powder or bleach powder for water treatment and as a
bleaching agent.[1] This compound is relatively stable and has greater available chlorine than
sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach).[2] 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 water and is more preferably used in soft to medium-hard water. It has two forms: dry and
hydrated.

Uses

Sanitation

Calcium hypochlorite is commonly used to sanitize public swimming pools and disinfect drinking
water. Generally the commercial substance is sold with a purity of a 68% (with other additives and
contaminants varying based upon the product's intended purpose). For instance as a swimming
pool chemical it is often mixed with cyanuric acid stabilizers and anti-scaling agents (in order to
reduce the loss of chlorine from ultraviolet radiation and to prevent calcium hardening). Calcium
hypochlorite is also used in kitchens to disinfect surfaces and equipment.[3] Other common uses
include bathroom cleansers, household disinfectant sprays, algaecides, herbicides, and laundry
detergents.

Organic chemistry

Calcium hypochlorite is a general oxidizing agent and therefore nds some use in organic
chemistry.[4] For instance the compound is used to cleave glycols, -hydroxy carboxylic acids and
keto acids to yield fragmented aldehydes or carboxylic acids.[5] Calcium hypochlorite can also be
used in the haloform reaction to manufacture chloroform.[6]

3 Ca(OCl)2 + 2 (CH3)2CO 2 CHCl 3 + 2 Ca(OH)2+ Ca(CH3COO)2

Production

Calcium oxychloride is produced industrially by treating lime (Ca(OH)2) with chlorine gas. The
reaction can be conducted in stages to give various compositions, each with different concentration
of calcium hypochlorite, together with unconverted lime and calcium chloride. The full conversion is
shown[1]

2 Cl2 + 2 Ca(OH)2 Ca(OCl) 2 + CaCl2 + 2 H2O

Bleaching powder is not a simple mixture of calcium hypochlorite, calcium chloride, and calcium
hydroxide. Instead, it is a mixture consisting principally of calcium hypochlorite Ca(OCl)2, dibasic
calcium hypochlorite, Ca3(OCl)2(OH)4, and dibasic calcium chloride, Ca3Cl2(OH)4.[7] It is made from
slightly moist slaked lime.

Properties

Calcium hypochlorite reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate and release dichlorine
monoxide:

Ca(ClO)2 + CO2 CaCO 3 + Cl2O

A calcium hypochlorite solution is basic. This basicity is due to the hydrolysis performed by the
hypochlorite ion, as hypochlorous acid is weak, but calcium hydroxide is a strong base. As a result,
the hypochlorite ion is a strong conjugate base, and the calcium ion is a weak conjugate acid:

ClO + H2O HClO + OH
Similarly, calcium hypochlorite reacts with hydrochloric acid to form calcium chloride, water and
chlorine:

Ca(OCl)2 + 4 HCl CaCl 2 + 2 H2O + 2 Cl2

Safety

Calcium hypochlorite is stored dry and cold, away from any organic material and metals. The
hydrated form is safer to handle.

References

1. ^ a b Vogt, H.; Balej, J; Bennett, J. E.; Wintzer, P.; Sheikh, S. A.; Gallone, P.; Vasudevan, S.; Pelin, K.
(2010). "Chlorine Oxides and Chlorine Oxygen Acids". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial
Chemistry. Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a06_483.pub2 .

2. ^ Gerald F. Connell. "KEY OPERATING STRATEGIES FOR CHLORINE DISINFECTION OPERATING

SYSTEMS" (PDF) . Retrieved 19 October 2014.

3. ^ Chemical Products Synopsis: Calcium Hypochlorite (Technical report). Asbuiy Park, NJ:
Mannsvile Chemical Products. 1987.

4. ^ Nwaukwa, Stephen; Keehn, Philip (1982). "The oxidation of aldehydes to acids with calcium
hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2]". Tetrahedron Letters. 23 (31): 31313134. doi:10.1016/S0040-
4039(00)88577-9 .

5. ^ Nwaukwa, Stephen; Keehn, Philip (1982). "Oxidative cleavage of -diols, -diones, -hydroxy-
ketones and -hydroxy- and -keto acids with calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2]". Tetrahedron Letters.
23 (31): 31353138. doi:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)88578-0 .

6. ^ Cohen, Julius (1900). Practical Organic Chemistry for Advanced Students . Newyork: Macmillan
& Co. p.63.

7. ^ W.L Smith, Inorganic bleaches, Production of Hypochlorite in Handbook of Detergents,Part F,

(2009) Ed. U Zoller and Paul Sosis, CRCPress, ISBN 978-0-8247-0349-3

External links

Chemical Land
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