Zinc chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnCl2. It is also known by other names such as Zinc Dichloride, Butter of Zinc etc. ZnCl2 is deliquescent and hygroscopic in nature. Samples are thus kept free from moisture including water vapors in the air.
Properties
Zinc chloride is a colorless, odorless white crystalline solid. There exist 9 types of crystalline forms that are known. All of them are highly soluble in water. ZnCl2 exhibits polymorphism and can take one of the crystal structures – Tetragonal , Monoclinic, Orthorhombic.
CAS number : 7646 – 85 – 7
Chemical Formula : ZnCl2
Molecular Weight : 136.31 g/mol
IUPAC name : Zinc Chloride
Packaging : 25/50 kg bags, HDPE bags with polyliner inside
Concentrated aqueous solutions of ZnCl2 have a unique property of dissolving starch, silk and cellulose. Owing to the affinity, ZnCl2 is used as fireproofing agent and in fabric refresheners.
Smoke Grenades
Smoke grenades contain mixture of Zinc chloride and Hexachloroethane which when ignited forms ZnCl2 smoke, an effective smoke screen.
Fingerprint Detection
A 1:1 complex of ZnCl2 and Ruhemann's Purple(RP) is used as a better detector as it fluorecses better than RP used alone. RP is a colored compound formed by reaction of ninhydrin with amino acids & amines.
Disinfectant
Earlier, aqueous solutions of Zinc chloride was used as disinfectant under the name "Burnett Disinfectant Liquid". ZnCl2 is also used in antiseptic mouthwashes.