Desiccator

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Calcium Chloride is used as a desiccant or deliquescent for quite some time ago. Currently it is produced in the capacity of 2.5 milions worldwide per annum, the production is very much depends on the demand, especially it could be seasonal fluctuating according to weather condition in North Europe and Northern America during the Winter time. It exists in different forms such as anhydrous, hexahydrate, dehydrate, flake and liquid. Each of the forms can be made into powder, pellet, briquette and prill types which again depends on its usage.

This kind of chemical is used as desiccant or deliquescent. The difference between a desiccant and deliquescent is the former will absorb water and might change color in appearance but the latter will also absorb water due to its high affinity to water and subsequently transform into liquid. Particularly this Calcium Chloride desiccant is always referred as deliquescent rather than desiccant as it turn into liquid eventually when it gets enough water. When it is exposed in air, the moisture in air will be absorbed by CaCl2 in its hydrated form.

This chemical compound has four levels of hydration whereby it forms 1, 2, 4 and 6-hydrate. The higher the temperature it expose, the level of hydration increase respectively. The Calcium Chloride will become super concentrated liquid once it achieves the 6 degrees of hydration. Other useful properties of this deliquescent are lower freezing points as compare with other equivalent compound and high specific gravity which enable it for cooling and de-icing agent.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 at 6:45 pm and is filed under Desiccator. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.