Calcium acetate

 

Calcium acetate

Chemical formula	Ca(CH3COO)2
OTP appearance	white solid
Molar Mass(g/mol)	158.17
Density(g/cc)	1.509
Solubility in water(g/L)	347
Solubility in ethanol(g/L)	insoluble
Solubility in acetone(g/L)	insoluble
NFPA 704	1 1 0
Thermal Decomposition	Calcium acetate 160°C propanone, calcium carbonate

Uses

Other

• Feedstock for propanone
• Component in "sterno"-type flammable gels (A semisolid saturated solution, gels by absorbing ethanol)
• As an intermediate form in the purification of acetic acid
• Nutritional calcium

Hazards

Calcium acetate is Generally Recognized As Safe by the US FDA

Production

Synthesis

1. Prepare a strong solution of cool acetic acid
2. Dissolve calcium carbonate in excess.
   Check:This should produce bubbles of carbon dioxide.

   CaCO₃ + 2 CH₃COOH → Ca(CH₃COO)₂ + H₂O + CO₂

3. Filter the solution
4. Run water in excess through the filter
5. Discard the residue (chiefly calcium carbonate)
6. Evaporate the solution gently leaving crystals of calcium acetate

N.B. This is a slight variation on the vinegar-and-baking-soda kitchen chemistry experiment, which produces sodium acetate. Because calcium carbonate is insoluble in water, it is easier to separate from the resulting acetate.