He Calcium peroxide , Also known as calcium dioxide, is a chemical compound of formula CaO 2. .
Calcium peroxide is produced by the interaction of the solution of a salt or calcium hydroxide Y Sodium peroxide With subsequent crystallization. Calcium peroxide is produced by precipitation of the octahydrate compound from an aqueous solution, followed by dehydration at temperatures above 100 ° C.
Figure 1: Structure of calcium peroxide.
Calcium peroxide decomposes to release oxygen when in contact with the hydrated material. Cao 2 Is one of the most stable inorganic peroxides at temperature and decomposes slowly into moist air.
An aqueous suspension of 1: 100 has a pH of about 12. Except for its stable oxygen release capacity, CaO 2 Has similar functions of other peroxides: bleaching, disinfection and deodorization. In addition, it is noteworthy to note that CaO 2 Is respectful of the environment due to its properties. (Kingsfield Inc, 2011).
Physical and chemical properties of calcium peroxide
Calcium peroxide is a white or yellowish powder with no characteristic flavor or aroma (National Center for Biotechnology Information., 2017).
Figure 2: appearance of calcium peroxide.
The cao 2 Has a molecular weight of 72.0768 g / mol and a density of 2.91 g / ml. The compound has a melting point of 200 ° C and decomposes above 355 ° C. It is slightly soluble in water forming hydrogen peroxide . It has a pKa of 12.5 (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015).
Calcium peroxide has a risk of explosion if mixed with finely divided organic material. The compound is not combustible in itself, but it accelerates the combustion of combustible material. This is because mixtures of combustible material and peroxide can ignite by friction or contact with moisture.
Reactivity and hazards
Calcium peroxide, although it is a relatively stable compound compared to other peroxides, is classified as an explosive compound and a strong oxidizing agent.
Contact with calcium peroxide can severely irritate and may burn the skin and eyes. Exposure can irritate the eyes, nose and throat.
Prolonged exposure may damage the skin. Higher levels of calcium peroxide can irritate the lungs and cause coughing or shortness of breath.
Even greater exposures can cause an accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), leading to death (National Library of Medicine, 2015).
In case of contact with eyes, contact lenses should be checked and removed. Immediately flush eyes with plenty of cool water for at least 15 minutes.
In case of contact with the skin, the affected area should be rinsed immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Cover irritated skin with an emollient. Wash clothing and shoes before reuse. If contact is severe, wash with a disinfectant soap and cover the contaminated skin with an anti-bacterial cream.
In case of inhalation, remove to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration.
If the compound is ingested, induce vomiting unless directed by medical personnel. It is advisable to drink large amounts of water to obtain dilution of the compound. Loose tight clothing such as a shirt collar, belt or tie should be loosened.
In all cases, medical attention should be obtained immediately (Material Safety Data Sheet Calcium peroxide, 2013).
Applications
Use in soil remediation
Of all the ways in which it could make use of calcium peroxide, its agricultural application is the most frequent one. The fact that calcium peroxide releases oxygen when in contact with water means that it can be used as a way to rejuvenate depleted soil.
Normally, after intensive farming or when the soil is flooded, nutrients and oxygen are lost from the soil, making it sterile.
In such a scenario, several artificial fertilizers must be used to add minerals and nutrients to the soil, in addition to other interventions to make it viable again. Calcium peroxide is critical to this process as it is used to increase the oxygen content of the soil.
Other uses
The fact that calcium peroxide can release hydrogen peroxide when combined with acids means that it can be used as a bleaching agent. It is widely used in this way in many paper industries. The production of hydrogen peroxide by this compound also makes it useful in the deodorization and bleaching of capillary products as well as textiles.
Calcium peroxide also has a place in health care, as it can be used as an antiseptic.
Calcium peroxide is used in cooking as a processing aid in the bread dough mix. The compound decomposes into oxygen once it comes in contact with water. This oxidizes and strengthens the disulfide and non-disulfide cross-links in gluten.
Environmental Restoration
The fact that calcium peroxide can act as an oxygen source means that it is useful in many ecological scenarios.
For example, there are many bodies of water such as lakes and ponds that have become non-viable due to pollution and other related factors.
In such a scenario, calcium peroxide can be used to rejuvenate these bodies of water as well. The oxygen released by the reaction between the water and the compound restores the oxygen content of the water.
Industrial use
The role of calcium peroxide in the production of plastics is critical for the processes of catalysis and crosslinking of the different compounds that are used in the polymerization of plastics to make them hard. Calcium peroxide is also used as the initiator of these processes (Chuangjia Chemical Co., 2011).
References
- CALCIUM PEROXIDE. (2016). Recovered from cameochemicals.noaa.gov.
- Calcium Peroxide. (S.F.). Retrieved from bakerpedia.com.
- Chuangjia Chemical Co. (2011). Calcium Peroxide. Retrieved from chinacjchem.com.
- EMBL-EBI. (2014, July 28). Calcium peroxide. Retrieved from ebi.ac.uk.
- Kingsfield Inc. (2011). Calcium Peroxide-CALGRO ™. Retrieved from kingsfieldinc.
- Material Safety Data Sheet Calcium peroxide. (2013, May 21). Retrieved from sciencelab.com.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. . (2017, March 11). PubChem Compound Database; CID = 14779. Recovered from PubChem.
- National Library of Medicine. (2015, October 19). CALCIUM PEROXIDE. Recovered detoxnet.
- Royal Society of Chemistry. (2015). Calcium dioxidanediide. Recovered from chemspider.com.