Tags: Chemical Compound, Chemical Substance.
Calcium hydride is the chemical compound with the formula CaH2. This grey powder (white if pure which is rare) reacts vigorously with water liberating hydrogen gas. CaH2 is thus used as a drying agent i.e. a desiccant.CaH2 is a saline hydride meaning that its structure is salt-like. The alkali metals and the alkaline earth metals all form saline hydrides. A well-known example is sodium hydride which crystallizes in the NaCl motif.
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