Lime and limestone are raw materials used in large quantities for building materials and industries. Limestone can be directly processed into stone and fired into the quicklime. Quicklime absorbs moisture or adds water to become slaked lime. Whether it is quicklime, lime powder or slaked lime, it has a very wide range of uses, so this article will introduce their uses.
In steel manufacturing, quicklime can be used as a flux for purifying steel. Lime is also used in metallurgical plants and refractories, thus making it an integral part of metal fabrication. the paper industry, both quicklime and slaked lime are necessary for pulp and paper manufacturing in order to improve the quality of paper by maximizing its opacity.
In the construction industry, lime has been used in the construction industry to make mortar and plasters as a binder for these substances. Lime can also be used to stabilize in situ soils or aggregates used in road construction. Hydrated lime helps create an impervious foundation, which reduces the chance of stormwater seepage.
In the leather industry, lime is used as a cleaning agent in the leather manufacturing process and is mainly used to remove rawhides to obtain clean leather.
In flue gas treatment, lime is used to treat flue gas prior to discharge to the atmosphere and is a key agent in the removal of pollutants from gas streams in coal-fired power plants, incinerators and industrial facilities.
In the dairy industry, lime is one of the bases used to neutralize the acidity of cream before pasteurization.
In agricultural production, lime improves the physical structure of the soil by reducing surface crusts, thereby increasing soil pH and increasing crop yield.
In wastewater treatment plants, hydrated lime and quicklime are widely used to correct the pH balance of acidic water, precipitate heavy metals and phosphates, and exert their flocculation effects.