The Property and Synthesis Method of Calcium Hydride

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What is Calcium Hydride?

The calcium hydride has the chemical formula CaH2 with a molecular number of 42.10. Grayish-white or lumpy crystals that are easily deliquescent. Used as a reducing agent, a desiccant and reagent for chemical analysis. Also known as a colorless Orthorhombic Crystal, industrial products can be gray, powder or orthorhombic. It is sensitive to moisture. It doesn’t react with nitrogen or chlorine in the air at room temperatures. However, at higher temperatures it can generate calcium oxide, nitride and chloride. The reaction occurs when the calcium chloride meets water. Also, it can react with ethanol and produce calcium ethoxide. The reduction effect of metal oxides on sodium hydride and lithium hydride is much stronger.

Synthesis of calcium hydride

1. Install the inlet pipe and outlet pipe using rubber plugs at both ends of the quartz tube. Rubber plugs are used at the ends of the quartz tube to install both the inlet pipe, and outlet pipe. Hydrogen is purified by passing through the inlet, while the outlet pipe goes through the mineral-oil bubbler connected to the fume hood. An electric furnace is used to warm the reaction tube. After purified hydrogen is introduced, a large quantity of hydrogen is added to the system in order to replace air at the start. This hydrogen was heated by an electric heater. The reaction began at around 200degC. After heating to 250-300degC it was heated further and then hydrogen was introduced with a flow of 0.6ml/min. The reaction is completed in 2 hours. Calcium hydride, when produced, is a porous white powder. The calcium hydride has a purity of 99%.

2. Alkaline metal and pure hydrogen electrolysis can be hydrogenated together to produce alkaline metal hydride. CaH2 can be prepared using the same hydrogenation device as alkali metallic hydride. For the purification of metallic calcium it is necessary that you perform vacuum distillation several times, scrape away the oxide layer at the calcium surface, and then cut it up as small as you can in an operating box filled with gas argon. When air is removed, the surface will be smooth and free of dust. A boat made from electrolytic iron is used to pack small metal calcium. The boat is then placed in a quartz tube. The heated quartz tube has a thin walled tube made from electrolytic iron covering it to protect the quartz tube against corrosion by calcium vapor. Pure hydrogen is added, then the calcium is warmed to 400-500degC. The hydrogenation reaction begins, and after it has completed the temperature is increased to 1000degC.


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