calcium carbide

A grayish-black crystalline compound, CaC₂, obtained by heating pulverized limestone or quicklime with carbon and used to generate acetylene gas, as a dehydrating agent, and in the manufacture of graphite and hydrogen.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

calcium carbide

(Elements & Compounds) a grey salt of calcium used in the production of acetylene (by its reaction with water) and calcium cyanamide. Formula: CaC2. Sometimes shortened to: carbide

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cal′cium car′bide

a grayish black powder, CaC₂, used chiefly to generate acetylene by decomposing it in water.

[1885–90]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

calcium carbide - a grey salt of calcium (CaC) used in making acetylene

binary compound - chemical compound composed of only two elements

carbide - a binary compound of carbon with a more electropositive element

Translations

carburo di calcio

炭化カルシウム

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

They conducted on spot tests to check the presence of Calcium Carbide in fruits and discarded ton of mangoes and peaches which resulted positive.

Carbide-ripened fruits cause cancer

The use of ethylene for this purpose was not harmful for human consumption but these compounds were expensive while Calcium Carbide in the country was available on cheap rates.

Artificial ripening of fruits poses health hazards to consumers

The use of calcium carbide as a ripening agent has been banned worldwide, due to its adverse effects.

Artificial ripening of fruits

'But when you ripen fruits artificially with calcium carbide, one cannot control that high amount of acetylene that goes into the fruit.

Artificial ripening of fruits causes cancer, liver, kidney diseases a Experts

They wash unripe mangoes, pack them in wooden boxes and place sachets of calcium carbide in them, which ripens the mangoes within four to five days,' says a commission agent.

Footprints: SEASON OF FRUITFULNESS

Hoarders are known for storing unripe fruits, coating them with calcium carbide and then selling them later at higher prices especially during the Islamic fasting month of Ramazan, when prices of fruits and vegetables are skyrocketing due to higher demand.

Punjab Food Authority seizes substandard fruits, seals cold storage facilities

Use of calcium carbide is very cheap and is embedded in the whole system so that it will take long time to replace it with ethylene or any other ripening agent.

KP Food Authority Banned Eight Different Edible Items

In the present work, the industrial wastes including iron tailing sands and calcium carbide slag are adopted to treat the expansive soils.

Experimental Studies on Drying-Wetting Cycle Characteristics of Expansive Soils Improved by Industrial Wastes

Dishonest traders endanger food items by using calcium carbide, toxic textile dyes, urea, melamine, DDT and burnt engine oil.

Bangladesh ranks lowest in SA

The sources said the government has got established 34 ripening chambers for ripening of mango and banned use of Calcium Carbide as mango-ripener being detrimental to health.

Mangoes exports of 1,29,423 MT fetch US$94.059mn in two years