Calcium sulfite, or
calcium sulphite, is a chemical compound which is the salt of
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...
cation and
sulfiteSulfites are compounds that contain the sulfite ion SO . The sulfite ion is the conjugate base of sulfurous acid. Although the acid itself is elusive, its salts are widely used.-Structure:...
anion with the molecular formula CaSO
3. 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...
it is used as a
preservativeA preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes.-Preservatives in wood:...
under the
E numberE numbers are number codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee. Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in...
E226. It is commonly used in preserving wine, cider, fruit juice, canned fruit and vegetables.
Like other metal sulfites, calcium sulfite reacts with acids to produce the respective salt,
sulfur dioxideSulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SO
2. It is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide...
gas and water.
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Calcium sulfite, or
calcium sulphite, is a chemical compound which is the salt of
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...
cation and
sulfiteSulfites are compounds that contain the sulfite ion SO . The sulfite ion is the conjugate base of sulfurous acid. Although the acid itself is elusive, its salts are widely used.-Structure:...
anion with the molecular formula CaSO
3. 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...
it is used as a
preservativeA preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes.-Preservatives in wood:...
under the
E numberE numbers are number codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee. Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in...
E226. It is commonly used in preserving wine, cider, fruit juice, canned fruit and vegetables.
Like other metal sulfites, calcium sulfite reacts with acids to produce the respective salt,
sulfur dioxideSulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SO
2. It is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide...
gas and water. For this reason, CaSO
3 is not a desirable compound in drywall - when humid, it releases sulfur dioxide as moisture and carbon dioxide are absorbed and mix to form carbonic acids.