Calcium Hypochlorite

Calcium hypochlorite is an inorganic compound with formula  Ca(ClO)2. Calcium hypochlorite is one of the most widely used bleaching, sanitation and disinfecting agents in the world. Calcium hypochlorite is considered to be the best product to be used in swimming pool water treatment.

As a mixture with lime and calcium chloride, it is marketed as chlorine powder or bleach powder for water treatment and as a bleaching agent. It is an integral component of bleaching powder which also includes calcium chloride and slaked lime. Calcium hypochlorite is the second most used chemical type in the hypochlorite market; sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach) being the most used type.

However calcium hypochlorite has more available chlorine and is relatively more stable than liquid bleach. It smells of chlorine, owing to its slow decomposition in moist air it is used in a variety of applications, the most important being as a disinfectant and cleaner.

Calcium hypochlorite is extensively used as a chlorine compound, which is highly effective against several micro organisms such as algae, bacteria, fungi, slime and other harmful and unwanted micro-organisms which exist in the environment. The market is primarily driven by its use in swimming pools, hot tub water and spas. It is used in the swimming pools to kill thriving micro organisms which pose a threat to human health and also to prevent contamination.

Strong solutions of calcium hypochlorite are used to disinfect and sanitize pool sides, pool bottom, diving boards, decks, ladders and other surfaces. It is also extensively used to treat waste water and disinfect sewages. It is commonly used as a bleaching agent and also finds application as industrial sanitizer. Hence another important application of calcium hypochlorite is in the municipal water treatment plants. 

Calcium hypochlorite is preferred over chlorine liquid/gas and liquid bleach in water treatment application. It is also very effective for treating wells, ponds, lakes, controlling and removing algae in reservoirs, water bodies filters and other water treatment equipments. Calcium hypochlorite in tablet form is also used in potable water treatment applications.

Some other uses of calcium hypochlorite include sanitation of food (vegetables, fruits etc) and beverage containers, equipments in dairy farming, restaurants, farms and hospitals. It is also used to treat toxic waste water emitted by tanneries, textile mills, paper mills, and food processing plants among others.

The market demand for calcium hypochlorite has been on the rise owing to the increased health and sanitation consciousness of the general population post the epidemic outbreak of swine flu, avian flu, cholera, pertussis, common flu, West Nile virus, ebola virus and various other diseases in the past decade.