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E552 Calcium silicate is an inorganic mineral-based compound made from calcium oxide (CaO) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂), typically existing as a mixture of calcium silicates rather than a single fixed chemical formula, and it is used mainly as an anticaking agent, moisture absorber, and flow-control additive in powdered food products and industrial materials because it helps keep fine particles dry and free-flowing by absorbing water and preventing clumping.
E552 Calcium silicate is widely used in both food and non-food industries due to its strong moisture-binding and physical stability properties.
E552 Calcium silicate improves powder stability and handling performance.
CAS Number: 1344-95-2
Molecular Formula: CaO3Si
Molecular Weight: 116.16
EINECS Number: 935-756-9
Synonyms: Calcarea silicata, Huberderm 1000, INS NO.552, INS-552, S4255P4G5M, E-552, Head Cold, RefChem:54628, Calcium salt of silicic acid, DTXSID4029648, 215-710-8, 1344-95-2, Calcium hydrosilicate, Calcium monosilicate, Calcium Orthosilicate, Calcium Silicate, Calcium silicate, synthetic nonfibrous, Calflo E, Calsil, CS Lafarge, Florite R, Marimet 45, Micro-Cel, Micro-Cel A, Micro-Cel B, Micro-Cel C, Micro-Cel E, Micro-Cel T, Micro-Cel T26, Micro-Cel T38, Micro-cel T41, Microcal 160, Microcal ET, Promaxon P60, Silene EF, Silicic acid, calcium salt, Silmos T, Solex, Stabinex NW 7PS, Starlex L, SW 400, Toyofine A, CHEBI: calcium silicate, CALCIUM SILICATE [MI], CALCIUM SILICATE [FCC], CALCIUM SILICATE [HSDB], CALCAREA SILICATA [HPUS], CALCIUM SILICATE [VANDF], CALCIUM SILICATE [MART.], CALCIUM SILICATE [WHO-DD], DB13829, E552, SILICIC ACID CALCIUM SALT;VANFRE IL-2, VANSIL W-10, VANSIL(R) W10, VANSIL(R) G, VANSIL W30;VANSIL W-20, CALFLO E
E552 Calcium silicate is a hydrous or anhydrous silicate with varying proportions of calcium oxideand silica.
E552 Calcium silicate many different calcium silicates occur in nature in mineral form (e.g.,wollastonite, afwillite, grammite).
The stoichiometry of the hydrate in cement paste is variable and the state of the chemically and physically bound water in its structure is not clear.
E552 Calcium silicate can be prepared by calcining the oxide with silica, SiO2, at an elevated temperature: CaO + SiO2+ heat→CaSiO3.
E552 Calcium silicate is commonly used as a safe alternative to asbestos for high-temperature insulation materials.
Industrial grade piping and equipment insulation are often fabricated from calcium orthosilicate.
E552 Calcium silicate consists of calcium ions bonded with silicate structures (Si–O networks), forming a stable, insoluble mineral-like material that does not dissolve in water but can absorb and trap moisture within its porous structure.
E552 Calcium silicate makes it very effective as a desiccant-like anticaking agent rather than a reactive chemical additive.
E552 Calcium silicate improves humidity control and material dryness.
E552 Calcium silicate appears as a white, fine, lightweight powder with high porosity and large surface area, which allows it to absorb significant amounts of moisture while remaining chemically inert under normal storage conditions.
Its porous structure is key to its performance in dry powder systems.
E552 Calcium silicate improves flowability and storage stability.
E552 Calcium silicate functions primarily as a moisture absorber and anticaking agent, where it prevents powdered substances like salt, spices, baking ingredients, and powdered foods from sticking together by reducing surface moisture and improving particle separation.
It works mainly through physical adsorption rather than chemical reaction.
E552 Calcium silicate improves product usability and shelf life.
E552 Calcium silicate is best described as a stable, porous mineral compound used mainly to absorb moisture and prevent clumping in powdered foods and industrial materials, making it important for maintaining free-flowing properties, storage stability, and product quality in dry formulations.
E552 Calcium silicate is used as an anticaking agent in food preparation, including table salt and as an antacid.
E552 Calcium silicate is approved by the United Nations' FAO and WHO bodies as a safe food additive in a large variety of products.
E552 Calcium silicate is also important in industrial packaging design for long-term storage stability, where it is incorporated into moisture-control strategies for powders that are highly sensitive to humidity changes, because it can buffer moisture over time rather than reacting instantly like more aggressive desiccants.
This makes it useful in situations where gradual humidity regulation is preferred instead of rapid drying.
E552 Calcium silicate improves long-term packaging stability and product protection.
In high-speed food manufacturing lines, E552 Calcium silicate is used to maintain consistent powder flow through automated dosing machines, where even small amounts of moisture can cause clogging, uneven filling, or interruptions in production flow, especially in large-scale factories producing seasoning mixes or powdered drink products.
Its role becomes critical in maintaining uninterrupted production efficiency.
E552 Calcium silicate improves automation reliability and manufacturing throughput.
E552 Calcium silicate helps prevent ingredient separation during vibration and transport, because fine powders with different densities tend to stratify over time, but calcium silicate reduces this effect by keeping particles more evenly distributed and less prone to sticking together.
This is important for maintaining consistent flavor distribution in packaged products.
E552 Calcium silicate improves product uniformity and consumer consistency.
In pharmaceutical granulation and tablet manufacturing, it is used to improve compressibility and flow behavior of powders before tableting, ensuring that active ingredients are evenly distributed and that tablets form with consistent weight, hardness, and dissolution properties.
Its inert nature makes it suitable for sensitive drug formulations.
E552 Calcium silicate improves dosage accuracy and pharmaceutical quality control.
E552 Calcium silicate is used to maintain dry, free-flowing properties in protein powders, mineral blends, and vitamin mixtures, especially in products that are frequently opened and exposed to air, where humidity absorption would otherwise cause clumping and reduced usability.
Melting point: 1540℃ [CRC10]
Density: 2.9 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)
solubility: Practically insoluble in water; forms a gel with mineral acids. It can absorb up to 2.5 times its weight of liquids and still remain a free-flowing powder.
form: white monoclinic crystals
Specific Gravity: 2.9
color: white monoclinic crystals, crystalline
PH: 9.5-11.5 (5% in H2O)
Odor: at 100.00%. odorless
Water Solubility: insoluble H2O [HAW93]
Merck: 13,1707
Stability: Stable.
Cosmetics Ingredients Functions: ABSORBENT; BULKING; OPACIFYING
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR): Calcium silicate (1344-95-2)
InChI: InChI=1S/Ca.O3Si/c;1-4(2)3/q+2;-2
InChIKey: OYACROKNLOSFPA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: [Ca++].[O-]Si=O
LogP: 0.651 (est)
E552 Calcium silicate is a naturally occurring mineral, but for commercial applications it is usually prepared from lime and diatomaceous earth under carefully controlled conditions.
E552 Calcium silicate occurs as a crystalline or amorphous white or off white material, and often exists in different hydrate forms.
It consists of different ratios of CaO and SiO4, including tricalcium silicate (3CaO.SiO2) and dicalcium silicate Ca2SiO4.
E552 Calcium silicate is insoluble in water and forms a gel with inorganic acids.
The pH of 5% suspension is 8.4~10.2.
E552 Calcium silicate is also widely used in industrial drying and packaging protection systems, where it acts as a long-term moisture regulator inside sealed containers, preventing humidity buildup that could otherwise damage powdered or hygroscopic products during transport and storage over extended periods.
E552 Calcium silicate is chemically stable and does not break down easily, it continues working passively without affecting the product itself.
This improves long-term storage protection and product preservation.
In food powder manufacturing, it is added to ingredients like spices, baking powders, powdered milk, and seasoning blends to ensure that particles remain separate and do not form hard lumps, especially in products exposed to fluctuating humidity during shipping or consumer storage.
E552 Calcium silicates high surface area allows it to trap moisture before it affects the powder structure.
This improves product consistency and consumer usability.
In industrial salt and mineral processing, E552 Calcium silicate is used to improve flow behavior in bulk powders stored in silos and transport systems, where pressure and humidity can cause compaction and blockages that slow down automated discharge systems.
It helps maintain smooth mechanical flow in large-scale operations.
E552 Calcium silicate improves industrial efficiency and material handling reliability.
E552 Calcium silicate is used as an excipient to improve powder flow during tablet compression and capsule filling, ensuring uniform dosing and preventing sticking inside manufacturing equipment.
Its inert nature makes it suitable for sensitive formulation environments.
E552 Calcium silicate improves manufacturing precision and dosage consistency.
In construction materials, E552 Calcium silicate is used in specialized building boards and insulation materials because of its thermal stability and resistance to fire, moisture, and chemical degradation, making it useful in high-performance construction systems.
This makes it valuable in fireproof and insulating applications.
E552 Calcium silicate improves building safety and structural durability.
E552 Calcium silicate is used as a support material or stabilizing additive in some catalytic and filtration systems, where its porous structure provides a stable surface for controlling moisture and improving reaction or separation efficiency.
E552 Calcium silicate is mainly relevant in industrial process design.
This improves process stability and material performance.
In environmental protection systems, E552 Calcium silicate can be used to absorb and immobilize certain pollutants or moisture in waste streams, helping stabilize industrial residues before disposal or further treatment.
Its inert nature reduces risk of unwanted chemical reactions during handling.
E552 Calcium silicate improves waste management and environmental safety.
E552 Calcium silicate is sometimes used in small amounts to prevent clumping in powdered feed mixtures and mineral supplements, ensuring even distribution of nutrients and additives.
This is important for maintaining consistent feed quality.
E552 Calcium silicate improves feed stability and nutritional uniformity.
E552 Calcium silicate is included in moisture-control strategies alongside desiccants like silica gel, especially in environments where long-term humidity buffering is required rather than rapid moisture absorption.
It acts as a passive, stable humidity regulator.
This improves packaging engineering and environmental control.
In materials science research, calcium silicate is studied for its porous structure, adsorption properties, and stability, which are important in developing advanced ceramics, insulation materials, and moisture-resistant composites.
Its structure makes it useful as a model material in inorganic chemistry studies.
E552 Calcium silicate improves scientific understanding of porous mineral systems.
In ceramics and advanced materials processing, E552 Calcium silicate is studied for its thermal stability and structural properties, and in some cases used as part of precursor systems for producing heat-resistant ceramic materials and refractory compounds used in high-temperature industrial environments.
Its mineral-like behavior makes it relevant in materials engineering research.
E552 Calcium silicate improves high-temperature material development.
In environmental stabilization of industrial waste, it can be used to immobilize moisture and stabilize fine particulate waste before transport or disposal, reducing dust generation and improving handling safety in waste management systems.
Its inert nature makes it suitable for non-reactive stabilization processes.
E552 Calcium silicate improves waste handling safety and environmental control.
In animal feed premixes, E552 Calcium silicate helps maintain uniform distribution of vitamins, minerals, and additives in powdered feed formulations, ensuring that nutrients are evenly delivered when the feed is later processed or consumed.
This is important for large-scale livestock production systems.
E552 Calcium silicate improves feed consistency and nutritional accuracy.
In construction material innovation, E552 Calcium silicate contributes to the development of fire-resistant boards and insulation materials due to its thermal stability and ability to resist structural breakdown under heat and moisture exposure.
It is often part of engineered mineral composite systems.
E552 Calcium silicate improves building safety and thermal resistance.
In research on porous inorganic materials, E552 Calcium silicate is studied as a model system for adsorption, moisture buffering, and particle interaction behavior, helping scientists design new materials for humidity control, filtration, and industrial separation processes.
Uses Of E552 Calcium silicate:
E552 Calcium silicate is an anticaking agent that exists in different forms, which are insoluble in water.
E552 Calcium silicate is used in salt to enhance flowability under extremely high humidity conditions.
E552 Calcium silicate is also used in baking powder and fabricated chips to absorb water or other liquids.
The main applications of E552 Calcium silicate relate to its anticaking properties, and it has therefore been used in dusting powders and a range of different cosmetic products (e.g. face powders, eye shadow).
It is also used as anticaking agent in table salt, foods, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural pesticides; replacement for asbestos in thermal insulation; Constituent (produced in situ) of lime glass, portland cement; reinforcing filler in elastomers and plastics; absorbent for liquids, gases, vapors; as anti-caking agent, suspension agent, pigment and pigment extender; binder for refractory material; in chromatography; in road construction.
E552 Calcium silicate is mainly used as a moisture absorber, anticaking agent, and flow-control additive because it prevents powders from absorbing water and sticking together, ensuring free-flowing behavior in food, industrial, and pharmaceutical products.
In food powders (salt, spices, milk powder), it is used to prevent clumping and moisture damage.
This improves product quality and shelf life.
In baking ingredients and dry mixes, it is used to maintain free-flowing consistency.
E552 Calcium silicate improves usability and preparation convenience.
In industrial bulk powders, it is used to improve flow in storage and transport systems.
E552 Calcium silicate improves handling efficiency.
In pharmaceuticals, it is used as an excipient to improve powder flow during tablet and capsule production.
E552 Calcium silicate improves manufacturing accuracy.
In construction materials, it is used in insulation and fire-resistant boards.
This improves safety and thermal performance.
E552 (calcium silicate) is mainly used as a moisture absorber, anticaking agent, and flow-control additive because it keeps powders dry, free-flowing, and stable by preventing water absorption and particle clumping.
In food powders (salt, spices, powdered milk, drink mixes), it is used to prevent caking and moisture damage.
E552 Calcium silicate improves product shelf life and usability.
In industrial bulk powders, it is used to maintain smooth flow during storage and transport.
E552 Calcium silicate improves handling efficiency and reduces blockages.
In pharmaceutical manufacturing, it is used as an excipient to improve powder flow and tablet production consistency.
E552 Calcium silicate improves dosage accuracy and manufacturing quality.
E552 Calcium silicate is used to keep powders dry and easy to pour.
This improves consumer convenience.
In construction materials, it is used in fire-resistant and insulating boards.
E552 Calcium silicate improves safety and thermal stability.
E552 Calcium silicate is mainly used as a moisture-control, anticaking, and flow-improving agent because it keeps powdered materials dry and free-flowing by absorbing and trapping moisture inside its porous mineral structure, preventing particles from sticking together during storage and handling.
In food powders such as salt, spices, baking mixes, and powdered drinks, it is used to prevent clumping and maintain smooth pouring behavior.
E552 Calcium silicate improves product quality and shelf life.
In industrial bulk powders, it is used to improve flow in silos, hoppers, and packaging systems where humidity can cause blockages.
E552 Calcium silicate improves manufacturing efficiency and material handling.
In pharmaceutical products, it is used as an excipient to improve powder flow during tablet compression and capsule filling.
E552 Calcium silicate improves dosing accuracy and production reliability.
E552 Calcium silicate is used to keep powders dry and easy to measure.
This improves usability and consumer convenience.
In construction materials, it is used in fire-resistant and insulating boards due to its thermal stability.
Safety Profile Of E552 Calcium silicate:
E552 Calcium silicate included in the FDA Inactive Ingredients Database (oral dosage forms).
Included in nonparenteral (oral, orodispersible, effervescent and enteric-coated tablets) formulations licensed in the UK.
E552 Calcium silicate is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used at levels not exceed 2% in table salt and 5% in baking powder.
E552 Calcium silicate is generally considered a low-to-moderate hazard substance, especially in its food-grade and industrial forms, because it is chemically stable, insoluble, and non-reactive under normal conditions of use.
The main risk comes from inhalation of fine dust, which may cause mild respiratory irritation, especially in industrial environments where large amounts of powder are handled.
Long-term exposure to airborne mineral dust should be controlled.
This requires ventilation and dust protection measures.
Skin contact is generally considered low risk, although prolonged exposure to dry powder may cause mild dryness or irritation in sensitive individuals.
Washing with water is usually sufficient.
E552 Calcium silicate makes it relatively safe for handling.
Eye contact may cause mechanical irritation, since fine particles can irritate the surface of the eye even though the substance is not chemically corrosive.
This requires basic protective eyewear in industrial settings.
It is not flammable, not explosive, and does not react dangerously under normal storage conditions, but dust accumulation should still be controlled for workplace safety.
E552 Calcium silicate improves industrial hygiene practices.
From an environmental perspective, calcium silicate is generally considered low environmental hazard, as it is inert and does not dissolve easily, but large releases of fine particulate matter should still be minimized.
E552 Calcium silicate improves environmental management and dust control.
