Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why is calcium chloride mixed with sodium chloride in the Downs cell?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
A labeled diagram shows the periodic table entry for sodium, highlighting its symbol Na, atomic number 11, atomic weight, electron configuration, physical state as a solid, body-centered cubic crystal structure, and strongly basic oxide properties.
sodium

In the Downs cell process, calcium chloride is added to sodium chloride to lower the melting point of the mixture.1

By reducing the temperature required to keep the electrolyte in a molten state, the process becomes more efficient and economical for the production of sodium metal and chlorine.1