What is calcium hypochlorite?
What is calcium hypochlorite?Calcium hypochlorite is a white solid that contains 65% available chlorine and dissolves easily in water. It is very stable and can be stored for an extended period of time. It is a corrosive material with a strong odor. Other names is Hypochlorous acid calcium salt, bleaching powder, calcium oxychloride and chloride of lime.
What is calcium hypochlorite used for?
Its and Sodium are used primarily as oxidizing and bleaching agents or disinfectants. They are components of commercial bleaches, cleaning solutions, and disinfectants for drinking water and waste water purification systems and swimming pools. It is an inorganic compound added in granular or tablet form added to water to kill germs that can make people sick. When used correctly, this compound destroys germs that can cause numerous health problems.
What is it made of?
It is an industrial chemical made up of the element’s calcium, oxygen, and chlorine. It is also known by the trading name of Bleaching Powder and its chemical formula is Ca (OCl)2. It is a white crystalline solid.
Hypochlorite Calcium is same as bleaching powder?
Bleaching powder is also called chlorine powder, chloride of lime or chlorinated lime. The other chemical name is It . It is a white powder with odor of chlorine. It is a strong Oxidizing agent.
Physical Properties
- It is a white/grey solid at room temperatures.
- Its solubility in water is 21g/100 mL and it reacts with the water when dissolved.
- Its solubility in hard water is relatively low when compared to its solubility in soft/medium-hard water.
- Ca(ClO)2 has a strong smell of chlorine (because it reacts with the water molecules present in air).
Chemical Properties
- It acts as a strong base since it readily accepts H+ When dissolved in water, the hypochlorite anion accepts a proton from H2O, liberating an OH– ion.
- The chemical reaction is given by ClO– + H2O → HClO + OH–
- This compound is also a powerful oxidizing agent since it can readily accept an electron.
- Calcium hypochlorite reacts with hydrochloric acid, yielding calcium chloride (CaCl2), water, and chlorine gas (Cl2).
General Properties of the product
| Calcium Hypochlorite | Ca(ClO)2 |
| Molar Mass/ Molecular Weight | 142.98 grams per mole |
| Density at 20oC | 2.35 grams per cubic centimetre |
| Melting Point | 373K (100oC) |
| Boiling Point | Decomposes at 448K (175oC) |