Calcium chloride uses and applications

Calcium chloride is a form of salt — but not the type you sprinkle on your food. This inorganic compound is a colorless, crystalline solid that is highly soluble in water. Although similar to table salt in composition, the compound contains calcium instead of sodium. Hence, when used as a food additive, calcium chloride does not pose the same health risks (specifically, high blood pressure) that exist with sodium-based salt solutions.

Calcium chloride uses and applications

Calcium chloride has multiple applications as a food additive. It acts as a firming agent in canned vegetables and the soybean curds used to produce tofu. It also serves as an electrolyte in sports drinks and certain brands of bottled water. Calcium chloride may be used as a sodium-free salt substitute in pickles and to correct mineral deficiencies in the water used to brew beer.

If you live in a snowy climate, you probably use calcium chloride to keep your sidewalk and driveway free of ice — its ability to depress the freezing point of water makes calcium chloride a common ingredient in many snow removal and de-icing products.  Because of its low freezing point, calcium chloride is often used to fill the tires of agricultural equipment to improve traction in colder climates.

Calcium chloride produces a tackiness making it a popular choice for road surfacing applications. The calcium chloride solution forms a liquid layer on underlying dirt surfaces to prevent the formation of dust while also acting as a cushioning layer that minimizes the shifting of aggregates. In addition, calcium chloride reduces the need for grading and the dependence on expensive road-fill materials.

Increasing water hardness in swimming pools is another typical calcium chloride application, which results from the material’s ability to reduce concrete erosion. A high calcium chloride concentration will minimize the dissolution of the calcium compounds that are essential for maintaining concrete’s structural integrity.