Calcium cyanide
Encyclopedia
Calcium cyanide is an inorganic compound
with the formula
Ca(CN)2. It is the calcium
salt of hydrogen cyanide. At normal conditions, it appears as colorless crystal
s or white powder with characteristic odor of bitter almonds (see hydrogen cyanide). Like other similar cyanides it is very toxic. It hydrolyses readily (even on moist
air) and releases hydrogen cyanide.
Calcium cyanide is used in the leaching
of gold
.
Inorganic compound
Inorganic compounds have traditionally been considered to be of inanimate, non-biological origin. In contrast, organic compounds have an explicit biological origin. However, over the past century, the classification of inorganic vs organic compounds has become less important to scientists,...
with the formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
Ca(CN)2. It is the calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
salt of hydrogen cyanide. At normal conditions, it appears as colorless crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s or white powder with characteristic odor of bitter almonds (see hydrogen cyanide). Like other similar cyanides it is very toxic. It hydrolyses readily (even on moist
Moisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
air) and releases hydrogen cyanide.
Calcium cyanide is used in the leaching
Leaching (metallurgy)
Leaching is a widely used extractive metallurgy technique which converts metals into soluble salts in aqueous media. Compared to pyrometallurgical operations, leaching is easier to perform and much less harmful, because no gaseous pollution occurs...
of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
.