

Humans have used calcium compounds since many millennia but didn’t understand their composition. Archeologists have discovered many statues and constructions dating back to 7,000 BC were made from lime – a compound of calcium. Discovery Humphry DavyĬalcium compounds were known to humans since ancient times. Among them, China is the largest producer of calcium and United States is the largest consumer of calcium – which takes about half of the world’s calcium that is produced each year. Most of the calcium that occurs on the earth is in the minerals which are limestone, chalk, marble, dolomite, and gypsum.Ĭalcium is produced by many countries, but the leader in calcium production are China, Russia, and the United States. It constitutes about 3% of the crust which makes it the 5 th most abundant element. Calcium is usually taken in form of calcium carbonate as a food supplement to improve the health of bones, teeth, and nerveĬalcium is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust. A good quantity of calcium is also used in food products and medicines.Hydrogen can be stored in calcium metal because it reacts with calcium to form calcium hydrides, and extracting hydrogen gas back from the calcium is very easy.Adding some calcium into aluminum metal makes an alloy that is stronger than aluminum alone and improves bearings strength. Bearings that are made from aluminum are not strong enough to withstand the friction and heavy load for longer.Maintenance-free batteries used in vehicles use calcium-lead alloy for reducing the loss of water from the battery and self-discharging.Calcium helps in improving the castability, purity, and some other mechanical properties of steel. Currently, the largest amount of calcium is used by steel industries for making steel. Reactivity is high and forms oxide layer immediately at its surface when exposed to air.Ĭalcium is a very important element for industries other than its medical use.Capable of being drawn into wire without rupturing – Ductile.Soft metal and can easily be shaped into sheets – Malleable.The conductor of electricity and heat– not as good as aluminum or copper.Calcium is silvery in color and shining.
