Difference between revisions of "Calcium acetate"
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Revision as of 09:51, 4 August 2015
Calcium acetate is a water soluble acetate of calcium. It has a usefully interesting solubility curve, and can be very easily be made into a supersaturated solution.
Contents
Properties
Chemical
Calcium acetate can be easily cracked on heating to make acetone and calcium carbonate.
- Ca(CH3COO)2 → (CH3)2CO + CaCO3
It is also a rather reactive, soluble calcium salt. Treatment of anhydrous calcium acetate with concentrated sulfuric acid produces insoluble calcium sulfate and glacial acetic acid, a useful reagent. Calcium acetate will also gel many alcohols if mixed in correct proportions. Too much calcium acetate will revert the gel back to a liquid.
Physical
Calcium acetate in pure form is a white powder that readily absorbs water to form a translucent, crystalline monohydrate. It can be redried to the anhydrous form with heating, but calcium acetate is one of few ionic salts that can burn on its own, so open flames and very high temperatures will ruin the product.
Availability
Not only is this chemical commonly sold as a 'hot ice' substitute, it can be made from calcium carbonate and acetic acid.
Preparation
Calcium acetate can be easily produced by reaction of calcium hydroxide or carbonate with acetic acid.
Projects
- Make glacial acetic acid
- Make acetic anhydride
- Dry-distill acetone
- Make flaming jelly
- California Snowballs
Safety
Calcium acetate can be considered mostly harmless. It is, though, a soluble calcium salt, and large oral doses could be harmful.
