For its chemical and physical characteristics and properties, CASO® Calcium Chloride is particularly indicated and useful in various and the most widespread applications, as a multipurpose additive, as a non-freezing substance, as a strong and quick ice-melting product, either as a powerful fluidifying or as a thickening product, and, finally, as a component of several production processes.

Some application of this product may be regulated or restricted by national or international standards (e.g. food additives, feedingstuff, water treatment, the cosmetic or pharmaceutical industry, etc). The buyer, and the eventual user, in his sole and entire liability, shall respect those standards, orders of any relevant authority, and all existing patents and intellectual properties rights; and shall comply with the laws and the regulations applicable to our products and/or to his activity. The buyer, and the eventual user, must independently determine the suitability of this product for any particular purpose and its manner of use.

CASO®  Calcium Chloride technical grade in its forms and concentrations:

Liquid qualities:

- CASO®TEC Liquid 25-29%, special product for direct
  application in winter road treatment

- CASO®TEC Liquid 35-37%   

Solid qualities:

- CASO® Technical Flakes

- CASO® Powder

- CASO® Technical Flakes LS (Low Sulphates)

- CASO® Sieved Flakes

- CASO® Granuls

- CASO® Granuls Standard

Caso® Powder Technical Grade
Caso®  27% Solution Road Grade
Caso®  36% Solution Technical Grade
Caso®  Flakes Technical Grade
Caso®  Sieved Flakes Technical Grade
Caso® Granuls Standard Grade
Caso® Granuls Technical Grade

CASO® is used successfully in many chemical applications.

The chemical industry often needs calcium and chlorine ions for its various applications. The industry also requires certain physico-chemical properties such as solubility and viscosity that CASO® can provide.

It is an important agent in the manufacture of fluorescent powders and it is greatly used for the production of plastics.

Drying

 

The air is a vehicle for humidity. It can bring or remove humidity.

The air is a vehicle for humidity. It can bring or remove humidity.

Combined with an industrial drying system, CASO® Calcium Chloride can dry out walls or atmospheres.

Some industrial gases have to be dried within certain thresholds; otherwise there would be the risk of facilities corroding or parasitic chemical reactions.

Both hygroscopic and deliquescent, CASO® absorbs the water and can be collected in the form of a thick liquid at the base of the dryer.

Fluorescent powders

 

Fluorescent powders are used to make lighting tubes.

Fluorescent powders are used to make lighting tubes.

They form a film inside these tubes which converts ultraviolet rays generated by electric sparks into visible light.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in the composition of fluorescent powders.

Metallurgy

 

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used regularly in metallurgy, especially for :

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used regularly in metallurgy, especially for :

- iron : reduces corrosion and any attack on refractory surfaces induced by the pH of the mineral used in the blast furnaces. It also helps control levels of sulphur, alkalis (oxides, Na, K) in finished products.

- titanium : used as a chemical intermediary in the manufacture of titanium oxide (white colouring) used in the production of paint.

- zinc - tungsten : used as a chemical intermediary.

- sodium : lowers the fusion point of sodium during the electrolysis of salt.

- non-ferrous metals : mixed with salt, lowers the fusion point of minerals.

Plastics

 

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in the manufacture of certain synthetics including MBS and ABS.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in the manufacture of certain synthetics including MBS and ABS.

Raw plastics rarely offer the characteristics required of them: impact resistance, temperature, ultraviolet rays... That is why in the case of PVC, for example, MBS is added to increase its impact resistance.

PVC made in this way is used principally in the manufacture of bottles.

ABS is a synthetic resin used among other things in the manufacture of car bumpers.

1885: first application in civil engineering! Since then, things have improved greatly.

CASO® is used as an additive for road foundations and the beds of railway tracks.

It also represents a simple solution to a complex problem linked to road constructions: it freezes the soil.

Calcium chloride in a solution acts as an accelerator and anti-freeze for concrete.

Cement

 

The manufacture of cement involves the fusing of selected ingredients which are crushed and mixed with lime.

The manufacture of cement involves the fusing of selected ingredients which are crushed and mixed with lime.

By introducing an amount of CASO® Calcium Chloride into the furnace, the temperature at which clinkering of the materials used can be reduced considerably.

Furthermore, CASO® Calcium Chloride accelerates the setting and hardening of the concrete.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is also added to clinker furnaces in order to reduce their alkali content. Cement alkali can have a reaction with the aggregates with which they are mixed. The result of these reactions is to destroy the structures of which they form part.

Coated walls

 

When constructing a basement, it can happen that the geotechnical conditions are not suitable. In this way, when you dig a hole in the ground, the walls tend to fall in. This phenomenon can be avoided by calling on solutions with well defined characteristics.

When constructing a basement, it can happen that the geotechnical conditions are not suitable. In this way, when you dig a hole in the ground, the walls tend to fall in. This phenomenon can be avoided by calling on solutions with well defined characteristics.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in this area as a flocculating agent for excavated mud.

Doncrete making

 

Concrete is easy to shape and hardens relatively quickly.

Concrete is easy to shape and hardens relatively quickly.

Used in concrete making since 1885, CASO® Calcium Chloride accelerates the congealing and setting of concrete. Cold interferes with the congealing of concrete.

CASO® Calcium Chloride prevents concrete from freezing and so enables concreting work to continue during cold weather.

Continuous granulometric macadamisation

 

The making or repairing of roads is carried out by placing increasingly hard layers above the base of the road bed topped with a hard surface.

The making or repairing of roads is carried out by placing increasingly hard layers above the base of the road bed topped with a hard surface.

When added to the foundation materials, CASO® Calcium Chloride improves their performance (less liable to crack with frost and less crumbling, improved dry density and load bearing capacity).

The granulometric materials are mixed with CASO® Calcium Chloride producing attractive benefits for this type of applications : very easy to work with - good shaping with the finishing machine - unaffected by frost.

Refrigeration

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in refrigeration plants used for freezing soil.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in refrigeration plants used for freezing soil.

When geotechnical (poor soil quality) or local (presence of a building on the surface) conditions are not suitable for some types of excavation, freezing the soil is the technique used.

In fact, frozen soil behaves like rock which then requires drilling through.

After the work required has been carried out, the soil is simply allowed to thaw.

Air dehumidification

Humidity is not always welcome in what you are doing, and can represent a big problem in many cases, but it can be eliminated with CASO®.

The air is a vehicle for humidity, and therefore it can bring or remove humidity.

Combined with a drying system, industrial or domestic, CASO® can dry out walls or atmospheres: being both hygroscopic and deliquescent, it absorbs the water and can deposit in the form of a thick liquid at the base of the dryer.

CASO® contributes to a better environment by treating effluent and desalinating soil.

Calcium Chloride is successfully used for the elimination of sulphates and fluorides, for the breakdown of certain emulsions and the restoration of soil satured in sodium.

Soil desalination

 
After major flooding by sea water, the excess of sodium deposited by the water greatly reduces the fertility of the soil.

 After major flooding by sea water, the excess of sodium deposited by the water greatly reduces the fertility of the soil.

In fact, sodium is one of the elements which competes with the atoms absorbed by plants when they grow.

Moreover, sodium reacts with certain soil types and leaves them waterproofed, thereby preventing the soil from breathing.

The correct amount of CASO® Calcium Chloride scattered on the soil improves the ionic and osmotic balance, and hinders soil crusting, with the result that the soil is able to breath better.

Effluent treatment

 

Current industrial trends aim to work in an increasingly ecological way.

Water containing excess fluoride is harmful for human beings, animals and the environment.

However, a limited level of fluoride in drinking water has been demonstrated to help combat dental decay and presents no danger to health.

By adding CASO® Calcium Chloride to fluoride effluent, fluoridated water can be purified. This purification can be further improved by adding lime and flocculating agents to effluent.

Some industries produce dissolved sulphates that they do not require. It is desirable to eliminate these materials by insolubilising them thoroughly.

Finally, CASO® Calcium Chloride is an attractive flocculating agent for breaking down certain emulsions.

The oil industry has been using CASO® for many years.

The main applications are oil drilling and drying hydrocarbons.

 Used in oil drilling at sea or in the desert, CASO® makes life easier.

Drying hydrocarbons

Sometimes oil contains water, which tends to corrode manufacturing and storage plants. Water also appears in oil products in the form of cloudiness.

Sometimes oil contains water, which tends to corrode manufacturing and storage plants. Water also appears in oil products in the form of cloudiness.

 Which is why the oil industry uses substances that absorb water without modifying the chemical composition of its finished products.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is hygroscopic and absorbs any water found in material which needs drying, turning it into a dense liquid.

Oil drilling 

Crude oil is usually to be found at a great depth beneath the earth.

Crude oil is usually to be found at a great depth beneath the earth.

To reach it, we have to drill wells several thousand metres deep. When the ground is drilled, the walls of the bore hole tend to close up.

This can be avoided by turning to solutions with well determined characteristics.

Because of its thermal stability, the density of its solutions and other properties suitable for this type of activity, CASO® Calcium Chloride is one of the products used most for this application.

CASO® has always been used for winter roads and anti-dust treatment.

Winter can be a beautiful season, but it is also a dangerous one for road users. Keeping the traffic moving in winter is vital for your safety and for maintaining economic activity.

On the road there may be more than just clouds of dust behind you....... but the fixation of dust is not simply a question of comfort: in coal mining for instance it is a question of life or death.

During leisure time CASO® is used on tennis courts and in riding stables to keep the dust down.

Anti-dust

During dry weather a breath of wind is all it needs to whip up thick clouds of dust on all non-metalled surfaces used for traffic or for industrial or sporting activities.

 This dust is dirty, it gets in everywhere, it irritates people and can even cause accidents as a result of poor visibility.

When spread on the surface requiring treatment, CASO® Calcium Chloride captures the ambient humidity in the air and turns into a solution that impregnates the ground and maintains sufficient humidity to keep the dust down as well as stopping the ground from drying out.

Finally, the safety and healthiness of coal mines can be maintained as long as coal dust can be kept under control.

Under certain conditions (high levels of coal dust on the ground or in the air), the risk of explosion is high.

What's more, dust present in the air causes silicosis, a disease typical in coal miners.

Using CASO® Calcium Chloride can significantly improve safety and working conditions.

De-icing

 

 

Wintry temperatures often result in snow or ice, which makes it difficult for traffic on the roads. Since the 1930s, Sodium Chloride and CASO® Calcium Chloride have been used to melt snow and ice or to prevent water from crystallising on the road.

CASO® Calcium Chloride is the most effective anti-ice agent for roads on the market.

Salt and CASO® Calcium Chloride are products characterised by a compounding point with water (eutectic), which enables the mixture to be kept liquid well below freezing point.

When Salt and Calcium Chloride are compared, Salt can melt more ice than Calcium Chloride. But in practice on the road, CASO® is faster. When the crystals dissolve, they produce exothermic energy, while the hygroscopic properties of CASO® Calcium Chloride absorb any water present in the air, all of which accelerates the thawing process.

Moreover, liquid CASO® Calcium Chloride is more viscous than brine and so adheres better to the road surface. Finally, it has a freezing point of –51°C, which is lower than salt (-20°C).

CASO® Calcium Chloride is used in various forms:

- technical crystals
- liquid alone
- liquid as an absorbing solution

Calcium chloride is not classified as a hazardous material and is, therefore, not subject to specific handling regulations. The various modes of transportation include: bulk rail cars (30-90 t), bulk trucks (up to 20 t), box rail cars, and van flatbed trailers. Depending on whether the shipments are in liquid or dry form, there are several variations to the above general classifications. Dry bulk calcium chloride can be stored in bins fabricated from most construction-grade steel materials. Care should be taken to minimize moisture. Venting should be limited to times of filling and discharging calcium chloride from the storage bin. Liquid calcium chloride can be stored in either hoizontal or vertical cylindrical steel tanks. Fiberglass and plastic may also be used within limits of strenght and temperature. Because calcium chloride is hygroscopic, the common safety precautions involved in the handling of chemicals should be observed: wearing gloves, boots, long-sleeve shirts, and safety glasses, and if dry products are being handled, dust protection must be insured.

CASO® SOLVAY calcium chloride is produced with a single production line, divided in six sectors working in series and in parallel.

In this facility, brine containing calcium chloride at low concentration,   coming from the nearby Sodium Carbonate (SODA® SOLVAY) plant, is concentrated from 11% till 77% in weight.

The qualities of CASO® Solvay produced in Rosignano  are as follows:

- Liquid CASO® 25÷29% and 35÷37%  TEC,
(technical grade ),

- Liquid CASO® 35÷37% FCC Solution (food grade ),

- Solid CASO® 75-80% in flakes (food, feed and technical grade),

and

- Solid CASO® >75% in powder (feed and technical grade).

During the production process, the calcium chloride solution is depurated and cleared from the main impurities (insoluble substances, hydrated lime, calcium sulfate, sodium chloride), so as to avoid any possible alteration of  the final product.

Once all the impurities have been eliminated, the calcium chloride solution circulates in evaporators and tanks where, with the addition of vapors at different pressure and temperature, it undergoes a process of evaporation and concentration to reach a content of 73% in weight.

At this step, the product is still liquid.

During the following step, a plunging wheel is immerged into the calcium chloride 73% solution: as a consequence of the internal cooling a solid layer will cover the surface of the wheel and finally the liquid product becomes solid.

At this step, the solid product turns into flakes (73%) which after desiccation in a dryer, by adding warm gasses, will reach a concentration of 77%.

The desiccated calcium chloride, before being stocked in silos, packed and finally being sold, is refrigerated by an air scrubber at first, then cleaned from dust and finally conditioned, in compliance with the sales specification.

The product has now the shape of  'white flakes', measuring between 3x3 and 10x10 mm as dimension and  with an average thickness of  0,5 - 1,5 mm.

After the cleaning and dehumidification treatment, based on the introduction of hot air at the entrance of the silos, the calcium chloride flakes are totally free from any dust particles.

Then they are collected and become a 'Final Product' which will be stocked, packed and sold as solid CASO®.

During the intermediate step of the production cycle, a part of the liquid calcium chloride at 50% in weight is diluted with de-mineralized water, thus obtaining the CASO® 25÷29% and 35÷37% solutions, which, after proper decantation and filtration, are stored in tanks and finally sold.

Safety & Environment: to be taken seriously. Safety and the environment are as important for you as they are for us. We make it a point of honour to keep you well informed.

Since calcium chloride is classed as an 'irritant', it is necessary to observe certain elementary precautions. These include :

- never place the skin in prolonged contact with CASO® or any of its solutions
- use water, preferably lukewarm, to thoroughly rinse any part of the body affected by this product.
- wear gloves made from rubber or plastic.
- avoid any inhalation of CASO® dust.
- wear protective glasses when handling CASO®.
- avoid working with equipment made from leather.

With regard to the effects of CASO® on the environment, we offer you the following thoughts :

- Calcium and chlorine ions are everywhere in the atmosphere and are used physiologically for living organisms. They occur naturally in the soil, rocks and sediment, as well as in surface or deep water.
- Calcium is an essential element in the cycle of life. It plays a part in the mineral balance of plants and is an important element in the composition of the water in our rivers and in our mains supplies. The effects on the environment of calcium in the form of calcium chloride are not to be feared.
- Chlorine ions, the other component of CASO®, should be looked at from two points of view.

On the whole, the chlorine found in river water rarely exceeds the levels allowed by official bodies responsible for public health and the environment. Certain periods of the winter have revealed very short peaks in concentration. Recent studies have shown that these occurrences do not have an important influence on the aquatic environment.

As far as fluoride is concerned, even in those areas where CASO® is used intensively do we find anything like the destruction of plants put forward by certain alarmists. The occasional accelerated fall of leaves or plant thorns (biological regulators of the latter) have been observed, as has the appearance of plants which are particularly resistant to chlorine or the mutation of certain species of plant.

In 45 years of spreading CASO® on our roads, no serious incident concerning an animal ingesting this product has been brought to our attention.