A Basic Guide to Pebble Lime :
What is Pebble Lime?
Pebble lime is one of many colloquial names for the chemical compound calcium oxide (you’ll see it on various labels as CaO). It is also known as quicklime, quicklime, lime, quicklime and just lime. It is known to have been used as early as the Middle Ages.
In terms of its chemical and physical properties, it is alkaline in nature, its viscosity is in the medium range, and its surface tension is high. It expands and contracts at medium to high rates and is quite resistant to high temperatures. If you mix it with water, you get calcium hydroxide aka slaked lime (labeled as Ca(OH)2 if needed). Although it is most often white, it can also be found in tomato red. Click here for more facts about lime terminology, its properties, and related standards.
What is it used for?
This substance is quite versatile and finds application in a wide range of different sciences and industries. It has been present in medicine for centuries, commonly used as a disinfectant and general germicide. It is also applied as an insecticide.
And It features prominently in the production of caustic soda because it is easily the cheapest available alkali on the market. In various laboratories, quicklime is used as a dehydrating agent to remove moisture from other compounds and also to facilitate precipitation reactions (in short, the formation of a solid from a mixture of two liquids).
In practical industry, you can find it in the pottery industry as an additive to glaze, in the construction industry where it is an additive to cement, in the wood industry where it is used in paper production, and in the metalworking industry in the production of high-quality steel, for example in the production of airfoils.
How is it prepared?
You can always go out and buy a bag for your needs, but it pays to know how calcium is formed from the start. After all, the better you know your materials, the better you can take advantage of their properties and mechanisms.
Calcium oxide is derived from calcium carbonate (labels will say CaCO3), which is the chemical name of the mineral known as calcite. Calcite occurs naturally in materials such as seashells and limestone. These materials are collected and placed in a furnace where they are exposed to extreme heat.
This heat process is called calcination, and the goal is for the carbonate to release the CO2 molecules, leaving only the oxide. This whole thing is done in the 1070-1270 degrees Celsius range (that’s 1958-2318 degrees Fahrenheit, if you will). The CO2 is removed from the furnace and you are left with calcium oxide. If you want to convert it to slaked lime, you have to mix it with water to make calcium hydroxide as we mentioned above. To learn more about the calcination process, go to this link: https://www.britannica.com/technology/calcination
Are pebble lime and lime water the same thing?
No way. Lime water is actually just another name for calcium hydroxide, i.e. slaked calcium. It is literally quicklime mixed with a quantity of water, hence the confusing colloquial name “lime water”.
If you decide to make your own slaked lime, be prepared for a show. This is a very lively chemical reaction that releases enough heat and steam to actually scald you and set things on fire. Take all safety precautions to protect your face and eyes, as well as the exposed skin of your hands. It would be useful to have a long stick or similar tool to stir the mixture from a bit of a distance.
What to watch out for when working with him?
When you decide to start working with quicklime for any purpose, there are a few safety features you should keep in mind. First of all, we already mentioned that it reacts violently with water. Avoid accidental spillage.
If it gets in your eyes or touches wet skin, it will irritate and burn. When inhaled, it causes coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, burns the mucous membrane and can even perforate the septum. Expect abdominal pain and vomiting if ingested.
FAQ: Pebble Lime
What is high calcium pebble lime used for?
- It is used for water treatment, flue gas desulphurisation, construction, chemical production and industrial applications.
- Calcium oxide (CaO) is commonly referred to as quicklime.
- Calcium oxide is a derivative of calcium carbonate, or limestone, with a high calcium content.
What is Pebble Lime?
Pebble Lime, ranging in size from 2 to ¼ inches, is used in many applications including steelmakers and other industrial areas as a flux or quench as part of a larger process. Powdered lime is a graded material with a controlled particle size distribution created from crushed pebble lime
How is pebble lime made?
Calcium oxide is derived from calcium carbonate (labels will say CaCO3), which is the chemical name of the mineral known as calcite. Calcite occurs naturally in materials such as seashells and limestone. These materials are collected and placed in a furnace where they are exposed to extreme heat.
Also Read:-
Guinness World Record For The Smallest Book In The World Requires a Microscope In Order To Read
A Basic Guide to Pebble Lime