Monograph: |
Calcium Hydroxide
A fine white powder with a slightly bitter alkaline taste.
Ph. Eur. aolubUlty is: practically insoluble in water. USP sol-
ubilities are: soluble 1 in 630 of water, and 1 in 1300 of boil-
ing water; soluble in glycerol and in syrup; insoluble in
alcohol. A solution in water is alkaline to phenolphthalein and
readily absorbs carbon dioxide.
Store in airtight containers
Calcium hydroxide is a weak alkali. It is used in the form of
Calcium Hydroxide Solution (lime water) in some skin lo-
tions and oily preparations to form calcium soaps of fatty ac-
ids which produce water-in-oil emulsions.
Calcium hydroxide pastes are used in dentistry. A paste made
from a mixture of calcium hydroxide and potassium hydrox-
ide and known as Vienna paste was used as an escharotic.
Soda lime is a mixture of calcium hydroxide and po-
tassium hydroxide and/or sodium hydroxide.
For the use of disodium edetate in treatment of lime burns of
the eye.
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