What is Tricalcium Phosphate?

Tricalcium phosphate is one of the important members of calcium phosphate family and it is made up of the calcium cations and the phosphate anions. In simple words, it could be named as the calcium phosphate too.

Tricalcium Phosphate Molecular

The chemical formula for the compound is Ca3(PO4)2 and the molecular weight is 310.177 g/mol approx. This is an ionic compound where three bivalent calcium cations are connected along two phosphate anions. Here, Phosphorus atom is fixed in the middle and connected with four oxygen atoms along with double and single bonds.

Tricalcium Phosphate Formula: Ca3(PO4)2

The natural occurrence of the chemical compound can be seen in cow milk and the blood as well. It is also taken as the major component of tooth enamel, bones etc. At industrial scale, the chemical compound is prepared by mixing calcium chloride and sodium triphosphate together with excess of ammonia. At high temperature, it can e converted to the pure state too.

About Tricalcium phosphate

The chemical compound is white crystalline powder and odourless too. It dissolves in water moderately and quickly dissolves in nitric acid and the hydrochloric acid. The solubility of the compound will decrease at high temperatures causing precipitation. Further, it could be defined as the chemically reactive agent but a stable compound only.

The major uses of product can be seen in manufacturing fertilizers, phosphoric acid, textiles, dental powders and more. It can be used as food additive and a nutritional supplement, baking agent, clarifying syrup, food buffer, and more. It is used for medical purpose too and as a pharmaceutical filler in tablets.