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Quarrying: Limestone is extracted from the earth via drilling, blasting and excavation.
Crushing and Screening: The extracted limestone is then crushed and screened to size fractions suitable for the calcination process.
Calcination: The most common method involves feeding the crushed limestone into a kiln, which is heated to high temperatures (around 900-1100°C), causing the limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) to decompose into quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Milling: Quicklime can be further processed with mills to provide a wide range of products for customers.
Controlled Addition of Water: Quicklime (CaO) is hydrated by adding water (H2O) in a controlled manner. This reaction produces hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) and generates significant heat which is reused.
Hydration Equipment: This process can be done in a variety of equipment, including hydrators, slakers, or even simple mixing vessels. The specific equipment used depends on factors like the desired particle size and the scale of production.
Cooling and Drying (Sometimes): After hydration, the hydrated lime might be cooled and dried to obtain a specific moisture content and ensure a stable product subject to customer demands.
Quality Control: At each stage of production, quality control measures are implemented to ensure that the final product meets the required specifications. This involves testing the chemical composition, particle size distribution, and reactivity of both the quicklime and hydrated lime.
The properties of Lime, such as particle size, reactivity, and purity, can be controlled during the processes, leading to different types of lime used in various applications (e.g. water treatment, flue gas treatment etc). In short, the process transforms raw limestone into a more reactive and versatile product suitable for a wider range of applications. The key transformations are the decomposition of calcium carbonate at high temperatures (calcination) and then the controlled reaction with water to form calcium hydroxide (hydration).
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