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Last Updated on October 31, 2025 by
We know how important it is to understand calcium oxalate. It has the chemical formula CaC2O4. It naturally occurs in many living things and is key to our health.
This calcium salt of oxalic acid can form different hydrates. These are called CaC2O4·nH2O, where n can be 1 to 3. This changes its properties and uses.
At Liv Hospital, we stress the need to know about CaC2O4. This knowledge helps us give top-notch medical care to our patients from around the world.
Calcium oxalate is key in plant biology and human health. It’s studied in many fields. We’ll look at what it is, where it’s found, and its history.
Calcium oxalate is a compound with the formula CaC2O4. It’s not very soluble in water and forms crystals. These traits are important in its role in plants and human health.
Many plants have calcium oxalate. It helps protect them from animals and controls calcium levels. It’s found in veggies and plants we eat or touch.
Here’s a table of plants with calcium oxalate:
| Plant | Calcium Oxalate Content |
| Rhubarb | High |
| Spinach | Moderate |
| Beets | Moderate |
Research on calcium oxalate started early in botany and medicine. It was first found in plants. Then, its link to kidney stones was studied.
Knowing its history and natural presence helps us understand its role. It’s also key to ongoing research on its health effects.
The formula CaC2O4 shows that calcium oxalate has calcium ions and oxalate anions. This mix is key to knowing its traits and actions.
Calcium oxalate, with the formula CaC2O4, has one calcium atom, two carbon atoms, and four oxygen atoms. The oxalate anion (C2O4) is a vital part, affecting its chemical and biological traits. Its structure is calcium ions linked to oxalate anions, making a complex network.
Looking into this structure helps us see how it shapes the compound’s features. The way these ions and anions are arranged is key to its properties.
The bonds in calcium oxalate are mostly ionic. Calcium ions (Ca) are drawn to oxalate anions (C2O4). This ionic bonding is strong, making the compound stable. The oxalate anion is held by covalent bonds between carbon and oxygen atoms.
Knowing about these bonds is vital for understanding how calcium oxalate works with other substances. It’s important for its role in biological and chemical processes.
Calcium oxalate belongs to a group of oxalate compounds. This group includes sodium oxalate and potassium oxalate. These compounds all have the oxalate anion but differ in their metal ions. The properties of these oxalates change based on the metal ion.
We will look at how calcium oxalate compares to these other oxalates. We’ll see its unique traits and uses.
Calcium oxalate comes in many hydration states. Each has its own properties and is found in nature and industry. These states are important in both life and work.
Calcium oxalate monohydrate, or ca oxalate monohydrate, is common in nature. It’s often found in kidney stones and some plants. Its crystal structure makes it unique.
The dihydrate form of calcium oxalate is less common but important. It has a different structure than the monohydrate. This affects its stability and how it reacts.
Calcium oxalate trihydrate is rare but significant. Its properties and uses are different from the mono- and dihydrate forms. It’s studied in specific areas.
Anhydrous calcium oxalate has no water molecules. It has unique properties compared to its hydrated forms. This makes it useful in industry and labs.
Knowing about the different hydration states of calcium oxalate is key. It helps us understand its behavior and importance in many areas.
The physical traits of calcium oxalate, like its crystal structure and how it handles heat, are key for identifying and using it. We’ll dive into these details to grasp their importance.
Calcium oxalate has different crystal shapes, depending on how much water it has. These shapes can change its physical traits and how it acts in various settings.
The density of calcium oxalate is a key trait for identifying it. Its hardness and melting point are also important, mainly for industrial uses.
| Property | Value | Unit |
| Density | 2.12 | g/cm³ |
| Hardness | Not typically measured | – |
| Melting Point | Decomposes | °C |
Calcium oxalate usually looks like a white or colorless powder. Its look can change based on impurities or the conditions it forms in.
Calcium oxalate breaks down when heated, not melting at a certain temperature. This is key for knowing how it works in different uses.
We’ve looked at calcium oxalate’s physical traits, like its crystal shape, density, hardness, melting point, color, and how it handles heat. These traits are vital for understanding its role in various areas, from biology to industry.
Calcium oxalate’s solubility is key to how it acts in various chemical settings. Knowing its solubility helps us understand its role in biology and industry.
Calcium oxalate doesn’t dissolve much in water. This is important for its biological and health impacts. Research shows its solubility product constant (Ksp) is about 2.32 × 10 at 25°C. This means it’s not very soluble in water.
Calcium oxalate dissolves differently in different liquids. It dissolves more in acidic solutions than in neutral or alkaline ones. This is key for understanding its role in living things and industrial uses.
| Solvent | Solubility (g/L) |
| Water | 0.0067 |
| Acetic Acid (1M) | 0.033 |
| HCl (1M) | 1.43 |
The solubility of calcium oxalate changes with pH. In acidic conditions, it dissolves more because of oxalic acid’s solubility. This pH effect is vital for understanding kidney stones and other health issues.
Temperature also affects calcium oxalate’s solubility. Higher temperatures slightly increase solubility. But, pH has a bigger impact on its solubility.
Understanding calcium oxalate’s solubility is critical for medical and industrial uses. Its low solubility in water and its varied solubility in different conditions make it very interesting.
Understanding how CaC2O4 reacts with other substances is key. We’ll look at its interactions with various substances and conditions. This includes acid-base reactions, thermal decomposition, redox behavior, and complexation reactions.
Calcium oxalate reacts with acids to form oxalic acid and calcium salts. For example, it reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to make calcium chloride (CaCl2) and oxalic acid (H2C2O4). This shows how it acts in acidic environments.
The reaction is: CaC2O4 + 2HCl -> CaCl2 + H2C2O4. This shows its strong reaction with acids.
When heated, calcium oxalate breaks down. It turns into calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and carbon monoxide (CO). At higher temperatures, it breaks down further into calcium oxide (CaO), CO, and carbon dioxide (CO2).
The breakdown steps are: CaC2O4 -> CaCO3 + CO -> CaO + CO + CO2. This is important in many industrial and lab settings.
Calcium oxalate can act as a reducing agent in redox reactions. For example, it can reduce certain metal ions. The oxalate ion (C2O4^2-) in CaC2O4 can be oxidized to CO2, showing its reducing ability.
The oxalate ion in calcium oxalate can form complexes with metal ions. This affects its solubility and reactivity. These reactions are important in both biological and industrial contexts.
| Reaction Type | Reactants | Products |
| Acid-Base | CaC2O4 + 2HCl | CaCl2 + H2C2O4 |
| Thermal Decomposition | CaC2O4 | CaCO3 + CO (initially), CaO + CO + CO2 (at higher temperatures) |
| Redox | C2O4^2- (from CaC2O4) | CO2 (upon oxidation) |
Calcium oxalate is key in plant biology and human health. It’s important for understanding kidney stones. We’ll look at its roles and health effects.
Calcium oxalate is found in plants and veggies. It helps with calcium regulation and protects against herbivores. The formation of these crystals in plants depends on calcium levels and the environment.
In humans, calcium oxalate is a major part of kidney stones. But it also has other roles. Studies show it can affect kidney cells and their functions.
Kidney stones, often made of calcium oxalate, form through supersaturation of urine with calcium and oxalate. Diet, hydration, and genetics play a part. Knowing how they form helps in preventing and treating stones.
Diet is key in managing and preventing calcium oxalate stones. People at risk should eat less of foods high in oxalate and drink plenty of water. We’ll talk about how diet affects stone formation.
Understanding calcium oxalate’s role in biology and health helps us manage its effects. This knowledge aids in developing ways to prevent its negative impacts.
Understanding calcium oxalate is key to knowing its health effects, like kidney stones. These stones are a big problem, hitting millions globally. We’ll look at how calcium oxalate causes stones, how to diagnose them, treatments, and new research.
Calcium oxalate stones are the most common, making up 80% of all cases. They form when urine has too much calcium oxalate. Diet, genes, and health issues can lead to these stones.
Creating these stones is complex. It involves urine saturation, crystal formation, and growth. Knowing this helps us find better ways to prevent and treat them.
To find calcium oxalate stones, doctors use several methods. These include:
Getting the right diagnosis is key to the right treatment and stopping more stones.
Treatment for calcium oxalate stones varies based on the stone’s size and location. Common treatments are:
Preventing stones means avoiding risk factors. This includes drinking enough water, eating well, and managing health issues.
“Drinking enough water is a top way to stop kidney stones. It makes urine less concentrated, lowering calcium and oxalate levels.”
Nutrition and Kidney Stones, National Kidney Foundation
Research on calcium oxalate stones is ongoing. It aims to understand how they form and find better treatments. Studies are looking at genetics, diet, and new treatments.
New imaging and diagnostic tools are helping us find and track stones better. As research grows, we’ll see new ways to handle this common problem.
Calcium oxalate, with its unique formula CaC2O4, is key in many fields. It’s used in industries and labs because of its special traits. This makes it a vital part in many processes.
Calcium oxalate is used in making ceramics, glass, and more. It helps in these processes by acting as a flux or changing the product’s properties.
In analytical chemistry, calcium oxalate is a reference material. It’s used to calibrate tools and check analytical methods.
Key applications include:
Research labs use calcium oxalate to study its properties. It helps in understanding its behavior and finding new uses.
New uses for calcium oxalate are being explored. It’s being looked at for energy storage and new materials.
Potential future applications:
In conclusion, calcium oxalate, with the formula CaC2O4, is widely used. Its unique properties make it valuable in many areas, from making things to scientific research.
We’ve looked into calcium oxalate, a compound with the formula CaC2O4. It has different hydration states, like calcium oxalate monohydrate. This compound, also known as calcio de oxalato in Spanish, is important in many areas.
The formula of calcium oxalate helps us understand its properties and uses. Its hydration states, such as monohydrate, dihydrate, and trihydrate, have unique traits. These traits affect its presence in nature, its role in human health, and its uses in industry.
Calcium oxalate is a major factor in kidney stone formation. It also plays a big role in plant biology and industrial processes. Knowing its solubility and chemical reactions is key for research and new uses.
As we dive deeper into calcium oxalate, we see its big role in our lives. It affects what we eat and medical treatments. Understanding calcium oxalate helps us tackle its challenges in our bodies and industries.
The chemical formula for calcium oxalate is CaC2O4. It’s also known as calcium oxalate or CaOx.
Calcium oxalate can be in several hydration states. These include anhydrous (CaC2O4), monohydrate (CaC2O4·H2O), dihydrate (CaC2O4·2H2O), and trihydrate (CaC2O4·3H2O).
In plants, calcium oxalate forms through a process. It involves absorbing calcium and oxalate ions. These then combine to form CaC2O4 crystals.
Calcium oxalate is a key part of kidney stones. Its formation is influenced by diet, hydration, and genetics.
Calcium oxalate is not very soluble in water. Its solubility can change with pH and temperature.
Calcium oxalate has many industrial uses. It’s used in manufacturing, analytical chemistry, and research labs.
The solubility of calcium oxalate changes with pH. Changes in acidity can affect how it dissolves.
Calcium oxalate is important for human health. It’s linked to kidney stone disease and other health issues.
Yes, diet can affect calcium oxalate formation. Factors like oxalate intake, calcium consumption, and hydration levels play a role.
Calcium oxalate crystals come in different types. These include monohydrate and dihydrate. Each has its own structure and properties.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2025). Calcium Oxalate Formula 5 Key Properties and Uses. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6918943/
