Calcium

:See also Calcium, New York, United States.

Compounds

Calcium, combined with phosphate to form hydroxylapatite, is the mineral portion of human and animal bones and teeth. The mineral portion of some corals can also be transformed into hydroxylapatite.

Related Topics:
Phosphate - Hydroxylapatite - Corals

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Quicklime (CaO) is used in many chemical refinery processes and is made by heating and carefully adding water to limestone. When CaO is mixed with sand it hardens into a mortar and is turned into plaster by carbon dioxide uptake. Mixed with other compounds, CaO forms an important part of Portland cement.

Related Topics:
Quicklime - O - Limestone - Mortar - Plaster - Carbon dioxide - Portland cement

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When water percolates through limestone or other soluble carbonate rocks, it partially dissolves part of the rock and causes cave formation and characteristic stalactites and stalagmites and also forms hard water. Other important calcium compounds are nitrate, sulfide, chloride, carbide, cyanamide, and hypochlorite.

Related Topics:
Carbonate - Stalactite - Stalagmite - Hard water - Nitrate - Sulfide - Chloride - Carbide - Cyanamide - Hypochlorite

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