- Calcium silicide
Chembox new
ImageFile =
ImageSize =
IUPACName =
OtherNames =
Section1 = Chembox Identifiers
CASNo = 12013-56-8
PubChem =
SMILES =
Section2 = Chembox Properties
Formula = CaSi2
MolarMass = 96.25
Appearance = whitish grey - black solid
Density =
MeltingPt =
BoilingPt =
Solubility =
Section3 = Chembox Hazards
MainHazards =
FlashPt =
Autoignition =Calcium silicide (CaSi2), also called calcium disilicide, is an inorganic compound, a
silicide ofcalcium . It is a whitish or dark grey to black solid matter with melting point between 700-935°C. It is insoluble in water, but may decompose when subjected to moisture, evolvinghydrogen and producingcalcium hydroxide . Decomposes in hot water. It is flammable and may ignite spontaneously in air. ItsCAS number is CASREF|CAS=12013-56-8.Industrial calcium silicide usually contains
iron andaluminium as the primary contaminants, and low amounts ofcarbon andsulfur .Calcium silicide is used for manufacture of special metal
alloy s, eg. for removingphosphorus and as adeoxidizer .In
pyrotechnics , it is used as fuel to make special mixtures, eg. for production ofsmoke s, in flash compositions, and inpercussion cap s. Specification for pyrotechnic calcium silicide is MIL-C-324C. In some mixtures it may be substituted withferrosilicon . Silicon-based fuels are used in some time delay mixtures, eg. for controlling of explosive bolts, hand grenades, and infrared decoys. [http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread94829/pg1] Smoke compositions often containhexachloroethane ; during burning they producesilicon tetrachloride , which, liketitanium tetrachloride used insmoke-screen s, reacts with air moisture and produces dense white fog.Gum arabic is used in some mixtures to inhibit calcium silicide decomposition. [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.pyrotechnics/browse_thread/thread/dc002fbb39b31aeb/63f84b3de3764a8e?lnk=raot]Self-heating can s of military food rations developed during the World War II used athermite -like mixture of 1:1iron(II,III) oxide and calcium silicide. Such mixture, when ignited, generates moderate amount of heat and no gaseous products. [http://www.du.edu/~jcalvert/phys/bang.htm]There is also a calcium silicide CaSi, CAS number CASREF|CAS=12013-55-7. See also CAS number CASREF|CAS=12737-18-7.
See also:
*Magnesium silicide
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.