Magnesium Chloride Spherical: Description, Properties, and Key Facts
What Is Magnesium Chloride Spherical?
Magnesium Chloride Spherical stands out in the chemical world for its compact, bead-like form. It looks and feels different from common flakes or powders, offering a denser texture and a smoother, round finish. Each sphere packs the compound’s classic qualities into a shape that handles easily, resists dust generation, and minimizes spill risks in storage or transport. This particular shape makes a difference when you work in places where measuring out quantities precisely matters or where clean, efficient handling improves workflow and cuts waste.
Product Basics and Raw Material Facts
The core of its value starts with the chemical’s makeup. Magnesium Chloride (molecular formula: MgCl2) combines magnesium and chlorine atoms in a 1:2 ratio, delivered here in solid form, often as small pearls or dense balls. Raw materials for these spheres typically come from the extraction of magnesium chloride from brine or seawater, then refined and crystallized to remove impurities. The process gives a product conforming to rigorous industry standards for purity and consistency.
Physical Properties and Technical Specifications
This material boasts some impressive numbers. Molecular weight clocks in at 95.21 g/mol. Spherical granules provide a bulk density of around 0.9–1.2 g/cm³, helping with straightforward dosing and minimizing airborne particles compared to powdery forms. Each sphere comes hard and moisture-resistant, discouraging caking or clumping during prolonged storage. The melting point sits near 714°C, which fits a range of high-temperature applications. Solubility in water remains high—around 167 g per 100 ml at 20°C—making solutions quick to prepare. In the lab or factory, you notice the difference between scooping powder and scooping beads, especially over long shifts.
Forms: Solid, Flake, Powder, Liquid, Crystal, Spherical
Magnesium chloride appears in several guises: white flakes, fine powder, clear solutions, and—the focus here—solid spherical pearls or crystals. The spherical version delivers added benefit in industries needing low-dust, easily measured chemicals: water treatment plants, de-icers, textile processors, and laboratories. Its high flowability and reduced agglomeration compared to powder cut clean-up times and equipment wear.
HS Code and Regulatory Details
For shipping and customs, the HS Code for Magnesium Chloride is commonly listed as 28273100. This code puts it into the group of other chlorides, so import/export processes reference this code for paperwork and compliance. Strict labeling, documentation of purity levels, and adherence to transport protocols lie at the core of legitimate trade. Tracing a batch from ship to shelf relies on this internationally standardized number.
Handling, Safety, and Health Considerations
Magnesium chloride, though classed as a low-to-moderate hazard, deserves respect in the workplace. Always check the latest Safety Data Sheets (SDS) before use. Fine dust (from powder, less from spheres) can irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory passages. Solid spheres cut this risk. Direct contact sometimes dries out or irritates the skin. Swallowing large amounts can upset the stomach or create more serious health concerns, especially for people with kidney issues. Watertight gloves, eye protection, and off-the-ground storage in sealed drums cut most risks. Workplace training goes a long way toward keeping people safe while handling even standard chemicals like this.
Application and Solutions
From keeping winter roads safer by melting ice, to stabilizing dust on unpaved surfaces, to purifying water and even supplementing livestock feed, Magnesium Chloride Spherical adapts to many job sites. Farmers use it to fix magnesium-deficient soil, while builders depend on it as a component in magnesium oxychloride cement. Its predictable dissolution in water makes it a favorite in lab settings. People working late into the night spreading de-icer on highways or monitoring water purification know whether their supply arrives as powder, flake, or sphere affects their daily efficiency and safety. The right packaging—moisture-proof bags, tamper-proof barrels—spells fewer headaches and more reliable results.
Risks, Environmental Quality, and Harmful Effects
Every tool comes with responsibility. Magnesium chloride’s effect on the environment—especially from road salts—attracts concern. Excess runoff tweaks soil pH and can harm roadside plants. In large amounts, it may alter water chemistry, affecting fish and other aquatic life. Workers and communities benefit when usage targets only what’s needed and excess gets contained. Finding biodegradable binders for road application or collecting runoff for treatment can buffer negative effects. Long-term, industries and regulators owe it to the land and water to keep a close watch on cumulative chloride loads.
Conclusion: Key Facts at a Glance
Magnesium Chloride Spherical measures up with a clear molecular formula (MgCl2), a strong density, quick dissolution, and a practical spherical design. Its solid form suits precise handling and storage; factories, researchers, farmers, and road maintenance crews each find distinct advantages over traditional formats. Handle with respect, store dry and secure, never ignore the human and environmental dimensions, and this chemical workhorse continues to serve across industry and agriculture.