The British Lime Association
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British Lime Association
Gillingham House
38 - 44 Gillingham Street
London
Tel. 0207963 8000 Fax. 0207 9638001
email info@qpa.org
Calcium is the 5th most abundant element in the worlds crust and limestone/chalk forms 20% of the world's sedimentary rock. The earliest records of burning stone to make quicklime date back to the fourth millennium BC, when it was used as a building material and throughout history its range of uses has widened.
Limestone/Chalk occurs naturally as Calcium Carbonate (CaC03)or as mixed Carbonates of Calcium and Magnesium (CaC03.MgC03)known as Dolomite.
Many recent applications of lime are in the field of environmental improvement, reducing pollution and creating useable products from what was previously waste. Today lime and its derivatives are used in a broad spectrum of applications, which have a major impact on our daily lives – to read more about lime applications please click here >
The Lime Cycle
The lime cycle is one of nature's best known examples of chemistry. This classic series of chemical reactions is the basis for numerous applications, many of which affect our lives every day.
The diagram above illustrates how limestone/chalk (calcium carbonate) turns into quicklime (calcium oxide) after heating, then into hydrated lime (slaked lime or calcium hydroxide) after adding water and then back into chalk after it reacts with carbon dioxide from the air. Similar reactions occur with Dolomite where a mixed Oxide of CaMgO (Dolomite Lime) is produced.