Lime: scope, features and characteristics

It is difficult to find raw materials more popular and affordable than lime. The scope of its application is so wide that it becomes simply amazing how the same material can have such a different purpose. Let’s talk about lime in more detail, because there are facts that you did not know about before.

To get lime, you need carbonate-containing natural rocks. These include chalk, shell rock, limestone. Then these minerals are processed in a furnace, while the temperature can reach +1300 ° C. As a result, blocks of rock turn into pieces that have a variety of shapes and sizes. For further use, lime can be crushed. It is a natural, natural material that may contain trace amounts of impurities in the form of mineral additives and clay.

There are four main types of lime:

1. Quicklime. Has a simple chemical formula CaO. It is ground and in the form of lumps.
2. Extinguished. The formula is already more complicated – Ca (OH)₂. It turns out in this way: CaO + H₂O> Ca (OH)₂. That is, water is added to ordinary quicklime. Can be used as fluff and lime dough.
3. Chlorine. Excellent antiseptic, formula – Ca (Cl) OCl.
4. Sodium. It is a mixture of caustic sodium soda NaOH and hydrated lime. This type has a narrow field of application in processes when it is necessary to neutralize carbonic acid..

The benefits of using lime include:

• Very affordable price. It’s hard to find the same inexpensive material.
• Hygroscopicity. Lime does not allow liquid to pass through, does not change its properties as a result of external influences.
• Disinfection. An excellent antiseptic, all bacteria die immediately, falling on the surface treated with lime. Good for fighting mold and mildew.
• Not afraid of ultraviolet rays.
• Versatility, very wide range of applications.

Important! Lime is caustic! You need to work with it carefully, with gloves, if it gets on the skin, it can cause a burn. It is also dangerous if lime powder gets into the lungs..

Lime field of application:

• Whitewash. Lime diluted with water is very actively used to whitewash trees, curbs, walls, in fact, anything. The bright white color, which gives lime to whitewashed surfaces, lasts long enough indoors. But on the street, the whitewash is washed off, so it has to be regularly updated. Whitewashing of basement walls is very popular – it disinfects the room, is cheap and durable enough.
• Gardening and horticulture. Soil liming is often used to reduce acidity and is a good fertilizer. In addition, lime helps fight pests..
• Livestock raising. Slaked lime is used in the production of feed for livestock and poultry.
• Construction and repair. Adding lime to mortars increases their elasticity and makes it more convenient to work. In particular, quicklime is added to ready-made dry building mixtures and is used in the production of silicate bricks. Slaked lime is used in the process of plastering walls, it is an additional binding component. If you combine fluff with sawdust and gypsum, you can get an inexpensive and environmentally friendly insulation that fills the voids.

Important! Quicklime, if stored in an open container, will absorb moisture from the air over time and become slaked!

Slaked lime is more actively and widely used. The best option is to buy ready-made fluff, manufacturers always indicate what type of lime they sell. However, if you decide to extinguish lime with your own hands, you should know that it is divided into three types:

1. Fast-extinguishing – the process takes only 10 minutes.
2. Medium damping – up to 20 minutes.
3. Slow quenching – over 30 minutes.

The extinguishing process itself looks like this:

1. Wear protective clothing, gloves and goggles! Remember that lime is a caustic material. In addition, when water is added to the quicklime, heat is generated, and the temperature can rise up to +150 ° C. There will be splash and foam, so protection is essential.
2. A suitable container of the right size is taken to withstand high temperatures. For example, a metal bucket, but no rust, a barrel, a box.
3. If you need fluff, then 1 kilogram of quicklime will require 1 liter of water. If lime dough is needed, the amount of water is halved.
4. You can’t just pour water and wait, you need to mix thoroughly all the time. Mix lime with water gently, try not to breathe in rising vapors.
5. The thoroughly mixed mixture must be kept for at least 24 hours before use. And for plaster, slaked lime is kept for about a month, for brick laying – for two weeks. Slaked lime is stored in a dark room.

Aging of the slaked lime is important because an improperly prepared mortar can then cause bubbles and cracks to appear as it cures. As you can see, lime is a multifaceted, in some cases irreplaceable material, which, due to its availability and wide range of applications, is highly popular..