Calcium Cyanamide - Uses

Uses

The main use of calcium cyanamide is in agriculture as a fertilizer. 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 + 2C → 2 NaCN + CaO + 2CO

It can also be used in the preparation of calcium cyanide and melamine.

Through hydrolysis, calcium cyanamide produces cyanamide.

CaCN₂ + H₂O + CO₂ → CaCO₃ + H₂NCN

The conversion is conducted on slurries, consequently most commercial cyanamide is sold as an aqueous solution.

Thiourea can be produced by the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with calcium cyanamide in the presence of carbon dioxide.

Calcium cyanamide is also used as a wire-fed alloy in steelmaking, in order to introduce nitrogen into the steel.