calcium chloride is an inorganic Compound, a salt with the chemical formula CaCl2. It is a white coloured crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrocloric acid with calcuim chloride.
Calcium chloride is commonly encountered as a hydrated solid with generic formula CaCl2(H2O)x, where x = 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6. These compounds are mainly used for de-icing and dust control. Because the anhydrous salt is hygroscopic, it is used as a desiccant.
One use for calcium is as a desiccant. Anything that qualifies as a desiccant means it’s used as a drying agent. Using calcium chloride in foods helps to absorb any moisture that would create an environment where bacteria would thrive.
It is also used both pre- and post-harvest to maintain firmness, reduce decay, and prevent certain diseases in fruits and vegetables
With such a widely-applicable benefit as a drying agent, calcium chloride is used in a number of applications. One of these applications includes de-icing and preventing the formation of ice. If you use rock salt in the winter for your home or business, you’re using a form of calcium chloride.
It’s also used in this way for road surfacing. The calcium chloride binds to dirt roads in a way that prevents the formation of dust. As a result, the need for grading is reduced by as much as 50% while the need for fill-in materials is decreased by as much as 80%.
Other common uses of calcium chloride include water treatment to increase the water hardness in swimming pools, in medicine to treat internal hydrofluoric acid burns and even cardiac arrest, in food applications and more. Let’s take a look at its use in food.
