The
chemical compoundA chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
calcium acetate is the
calciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
salt of
acetic acidAcetic acid, CH
3COOH, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic acid which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. It is a weak acid, in that it is only partially dissociated acid in aqueous solution...
. It has the formula Ca(C
2H
3O
2)
2. Its standard name is calcium acetate, while calcium ethanoate is the systematic IUPAC name. An older name is acetate of lime. The anhydrous form is very hygroscopic; therefore the mono
hydrateHydrate is a term used in inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry to indicate that a substance contains water. The chemical state of the water varies widely between hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was understood....
(Ca(CH
3COO)
2.H
2O, CAS [5743-26-0]) is the common form.
If an alcohol is added to a saturated solution of calcium acetate, a semisolid, flammable gel forms that is much like "canned heat" products such as Sterno.
Chemistry teachers often prepare "California Snowballs", a mixture of calcium acetate solution and
ethanolEthanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug, best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and in modern thermometers. Ethanol is one of the oldest recreational drugs...
.
The
chemical compoundA chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
calcium acetate is the
calciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
salt of
acetic acidAcetic acid, CH
3COOH, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic acid which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. It is a weak acid, in that it is only partially dissociated acid in aqueous solution...
. It has the formula Ca(C
2H
3O
2)
2. Its standard name is calcium acetate, while calcium ethanoate is the systematic IUPAC name. An older name is acetate of lime. The anhydrous form is very hygroscopic; therefore the mono
hydrateHydrate is a term used in inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry to indicate that a substance contains water. The chemical state of the water varies widely between hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was understood....
(Ca(CH
3COO)
2.H
2O, CAS [5743-26-0]) is the common form.
If an alcohol is added to a saturated solution of calcium acetate, a semisolid, flammable gel forms that is much like "canned heat" products such as Sterno.
Chemistry teachers often prepare "California Snowballs", a mixture of calcium acetate solution and
ethanolEthanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug, best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and in modern thermometers. Ethanol is one of the oldest recreational drugs...
. The resulting gel is whitish in color, and can be formed to resemble a
snowballA snowball is a spherical object made from snow, usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and compacting it into a roughly fist-sized ball. The snowball is often used to engage in games, such as snowball fights. Snowball fights are usually light-hearted and involve throwing snowballs at...
.
Calclacite is a name for calcium acetate chloride pentahydrate, which is treated as mineral species but possess anthropogenic origin.
History
Because it is inexpensive, calcium acetate was once a common starting material for the synthesis of
acetoneAcetone is the organic compound with the formula OC2. This colorless, mobile, flammable liquid is the simplest example of the ketones. Owing to the fact that acetone is miscible with water it serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for...
before the development of the
cumene processCumene process is an industrial process for developing phenol and acetone from benzene and propylene. The term stems from cumene , the intermediate material during the process....
.
Calcium Acetate can be prepared by soaking eggshells in vinegar. Since both reagents would have been available pre-historically, the chemical
would have been observable as crystals then.
Uses
In kidney disease, blood levels of
phosphateA phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
may rise (called
hyperphosphatemiaHyperphosphatemia is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is an abnormally elevated level of phosphate in the blood. Often, calcium levels are lowered due to precipitation of phosphate with the calcium in tissues.-Causes:...
) leading to bone problems. Calcium acetate binds phosphate in the diet to lower blood phosphate levels. Side effects of this treatment include upset stomach.
Calcium acetate is used as a
food additiveFood additives are substances added to food to preserve flavour or improve its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
, as a stabilizer, buffer and sequestrant, mainly in candy products.