Calcium Formate

Calcium Formate Technical Properties Calcium formate ((HCO2)2Ca) is an odourless, free-flowing white crystalline solid. It is a suitable source of calcium and formate ions for aqueous solutions. Applications Leather Tanning Calcium formate is widely used in the leather industry as a masking agent in the chromium tanning process. The addition of calcium formate to the tanning formulation supports faster and more efficient penetration of chromium into the leather. Calcium formate can be used in place of formic acid in the pickling process. Cement Additive As an additive to joint fillers and cement, calcium formate imparts desired properties to the final product, for example increased hardness compared to ordinary cements and shorter setting time. The addition of calcium formate is desirable for working at low temperatures and preventing corrosion of metal substrates. It is also effective in preventing dusting. When used in drywall, calcium formate functions as a fire retardant. Silage Treatment Calcium formate is widely used as a component of silage additives for silage treatment. The use of calcium formate in silage promotes the formation of lactic acid desired in anaerobic fermentation while suppressing the formation of by-product reactions such as propionic acid. Gas Generation A mixture of calcium formate with ammonium nitrate or chlorate, perchlorate, peroxide, superoxide or a permanganate of an alkali metal, when ignited, will rapidly release large volumes of gas. Since the released gases are cool, non-toxic and non-irritating, they can be used for inflating airbags in automobiles or for other similar applications. Flue Gas Desulfurisation If high-sulphur fuel oil is emulsified with a solution containing calcium formate before combustion, SOx is reduced in the flue gases resulting from the combustion of high-sulphur fuel oil. Up to 95% of SOx is removed. Safety Explosives Calcium formate can be used as a fuel component in explosives designed to have advanced detonation characteristics. Such explosives are suitable for use in hazardous environments frequently encountered in coal mines. Ice Melt Mixtures of calcium formate with urea are excellent substances for ice melting. Less corrosion is observed on steel and cement surfaces compared with other ice melts. Other Applications Calcium formate can be used as an additive to improve solution stability of various resins, as a corrosion inhibitor in moulding and wire drawing operations, or as a catalyst in place of calcium acetate. Buffered Solutions Buffered solutions exhibiting a range of pH values can be obtained by varying the ratio of formic acid to salt as shown in the table below: Animal Feed Additive Calcium formate is an organic salt suitable for use in the nutrition of pigs and poultry. It functions as a raw material preservative and has an acidifying effect on the gastrointestinal system that supports good intestinal health. The efficiency of digestion of pig and poultry feed stock depends on the concentration of native microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. With the approach of regulations banning the use of prophylactic antibiotics in animal feed as a means of controlling disease and promoting growth, there is a need for alternatives to limit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria that can disrupt raw material digestion in the intestine and also cause enteric diseases such as E. Coli and Salmonella. Acidifiers such as calcium formate protect raw materials before consumption and lower the pH in the gastrointestinal tract, creating unfavourable conditions for bacterial growth. [caption id="attachment_136429" align="aligncenter"] Figure 1. Calcium Formate[/caption] Chemical Reactions Calcium formate can be used to prepare solutions of other water-soluble formate salts. For example, the addition of nickel (II) sulphate to a calcium formate solution causes the precipitation of insoluble calcium sulphate and nickel (II) formate remains in solution: Ca (OOCH)2 + NiSO4 → CaSO4 + Ni(OOCH)2 In a similar reaction, sulphuric acid reacts with calcium formate to provide low-cost formic acid solutions: Ca(OOCH)2 + H2 SO4 → CaSO4 + 2HCOOH When calcium formate is heated it decomposes into calcium carbonate and formaldehyde: Ca(OOCH)2 → CaCO3 + HCHO Continued heating at higher temperatures causes decomposition of these decomposed products: HCHO → CO + H2 CaCO3 → CaO + CO2 Calcium formate can be used as a low-cost reducing agent in the conversion of carboxylic acids to aldehydes. This process is an effective alternative to the laborious Rosenmund reduction: (RCOO)2Ca + (HCOO)2Ca→ 2RCH + 2CaCO3 Toxicity Calcium formate has a low degree of toxicity. In mice, the acute oral LD50 is 2650 mg/kg; by intravenous injection, LD50 is 154 mg/kg. In a study conducted on mice, calcium formate added to drinking water at 0.2% over 3 years or 0.4% over 2 years did not affect growth, fertility or function in animals over 5 generations. Calcium formate is expected to irritate eyes and skin. In case of eye contact, immediately rinse eyes with water for 15 minutes. Avoid prolonged or repeated skin exposure. Calcium Formate Production Methods 1-) Neutralisation Method; Formic acid and lime slurry are neutralised to produce refined calcium formate for commercial calcium formate production. 2-) Complex Decomposition Method; In the presence of a catalyst, sodium formate and calcium nitrate are decomposed to produce calcium formate and sodium nitrate. Commercial calcium formate is obtained by refining. 3-) By-Product Method of Methyl Ester of Epoxidised Fatty Acid; The production of methyl ester of epoxidised fatty acid is developing rapidly. Large quantities of formic acid will be produced as a by-product during the production of this product. One of the usage plans for this by-product is the production of calcium formate. 4-) Pentaerythritol Co-Production Method; During pentaerythritol production, calcium hydroxide was used to provide the basic reaction conditions, and during the subsequent neutralisation process, formic acid and calcium hydroxide were added to produce calcium formate.  

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