Calcium bromide is the calcium salt of hydrobromic acid with the chemical formula of CaBr2. It is a white powder that reacts with water to form the hexahydrate. CaBr2 is mainly used in drilling fluid
It is produced by the reaction of calcium oxide, calcium carbonate with hydrobromic acid or the reaction of calcium metal with elemental bromine.
It adopts the rutile structure, featuring octahedral Ca centres bound to six bromide anions, which also bridge to other Ca centres.
When strongly heated in air, calcium bromide will produce calcium oxide and bromine:
2 CaBr2 + O2 → 2 CaO + 2 Br2
In this reaction the oxygen oxidizes the bromide to bromine.
