Calcium Hydrides

At high temperatures (600 - 1000 °C), calcium hydride is a very strong reducing agent capable of reducing many metal oxides to pure metals. It is often used as a very efficient drying agent for organic solvents and gases. Mostly inert in combination with organic substances at normal temperatures, and being a rather weak condensation agent, calcium hydride can be used for drying ketones, esters, amines, halogenated hydrocarbons, higher alcohols, and phenols. CaH2 can be used as a hydrogen source because it is a hydrogen storage easy to transport. Another field of application is the determination of the water content in diesel fuel or kerosene. CaH2 is also used to determine the water content in plastic granules.