Calcium cyanamide

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Calcium cyanamide
IUPAC name Calcium cyanamide
Other names Cyanamide calcium salt, Lime Nitrogen, UN 1403
Identifiers
CAS number [156-62-7]
EINECS number 205-861-8
RTECS number GS6000000
SMILES [Ca]=NC#N
InChI 1/CN2.Ca/c2-1-3;/q-2;+2
Properties
Molecular formula CaCN2
Molar mass 80.11 g.mol-1
Appearance White solid (Often gray or black from impurities)
Density 2.29 g.cm-3
Melting point

1300 °C
Boiling point

1150 °C (sublim.)
Solubility in water Insoluble (decomp.)
Hazards
Main hazards Harmful (Xn)
NFPA 704
1
4
3
 
R-phrases R22, R37, R41
S-phrases S22, S26, S36/37/39
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references

Calcium cyanamide or CaCN2 is a calcium compound used as fertiliser, first synthesized in 1898 by Adolph Frank and Nikodem Caro. It is formed when calcium carbide reacts with nitrogen. It is commercially known as Nitrolim

CaC2 + N2 → CaCN2 + C

The reaction takes place in large steel chambers. An electric carbon element heats the reactants to red heat. Nitrogen is pressurised at 2 atmospheres.

It crystalizes in hexagonal crystal system with space group R3m and lattice constants a = 3.67, c = 14.85 (.10-1 nm).[1]

Contents

[edit] Uses

The main use of calcium cyanamide is in agriculture as a fertiliser. In contact with water it decomposes and liberates ammonia:

CaCN2 + 3 H2O → 2 NH3 + CaCO3

It was used to produce sodium cyanide by fusing with sodium carbonate, which was used in cyanide process in gold mining:

CaCN2 + Na2CO3 → 2 NaCN + CaO + O2

[edit] References

  1. ^ F. Brezina, J. Mollin, R. Pastorek, Z. Sindelar. Chemicke tabulky anorganickych sloucenin (Chemical tables of inorganic compounds). SNTL, 1986.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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