Description:
Hydrated lime, chemically known as calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), or slaked lime, is a dry white powder derived from quicklime that has been mixed with water. Carmeuse high calcium hydrated lime is available as a dry bulk or bagged product and is used in a variety of industrial applications including flue gas treatment, water treatment, steelmaking, construction, and others.
Benefits:
- High calcium content for superior performance
- Consistent high purity to get critical performance for every ton
- Releases very little exothermic heat when in contact with water making it easier and safer to use in certain applications when compared to high calcium quicklime or caustic soda
- Various grades available to meet to your specific needs
- Delivered onsite and ready-to-use
For additional information, to view our Product Typical Sheets or to discuss availability with our sales group, please contact us.
Documentation
For additional information, to view our Product Typical Sheets, or to discuss availability with our sales group, please contact us.
High Calcium Hydrated Lime Production
Hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) is produced when quicklime (CaO) is mixed with a carefully controlled amount of water. This produces a dry calcium hydroxide product that is nearly free of moisture and, as a result, is easy to handle and store.
CaO + H2O --> Ca(OH)2 + heat
After our limestone has been mined, crushed, and calcined in a kiln to produce quicklime, it can be further processed through an exothermic reaction in a hydrator, to form calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), or hydrated lime. This process adds approximately 33% water to the quicklime; however, its final form as calcium hydroxide remains a dry powder.
High calcium hydrated lime is also referenced as slaked lime, but do not confuse this with the wet slurry derived from the slaking process. While powdered quicklime is dry, it can be processed in a different manner to produce a slurry product.
Note that the term “lime” refers to both quicklime and hydrated lime, thus when differentiation is necessary, products should be referenced as quicklime or hydrated lime.
To ensure proper storage, high calcium hydrated lime should be protected from the elements throughout shipping and material handling, until it is needed for your application. For storage and handling solutions for hydrated lime, learn about our Carmeuse End-2-End Services.
Specifications
Typical Ranges are below.
Chemistry: 94.0 – 97.0% Ca(OH)2
Sizing: 92-97% Passing 325 Mesh
Uses for High Calcium Hydrated Lime
High calcium hydrated lime is one of the most effective reagents for acid neutralization and pH adjustment.
- Agriculture – High calcium hydrated lime is an easy to use material for agricultural disinfection of animal bedding in barns and poultry halls.
- Water Treatment – assists in the removal of a wide variety of contaminants from water to improve quality, adjust pH, and reduce heavy metals in wastewater.
- Flue Gas Treatment – Used in dry scrubbing applications to reduce acid gases and heavy metals.
- Iron & Steel – Hydrated lime is used in iron and steel foundries as a lime whitewash coating on the molds to prevent sticking and provide temporary corrosion protection of finished products. It is also used in water treatment in steel mills.
- Construction - Hydrated lime is a proven antistrip additive for mitigating moisture susceptible aggregates in hot and warm mix asphalt mixtures, increasing the performance and life expectancy of pavements.
- Chemical Processing – used as an alkali source, for pH adjustment, as an accelerant, or in a metathesis reaction.
- Non-Ferrous – Hydrated lime is used in ore processing facilities to react with and/or separate valuable components such as copper, gold, or lithium from their parent rock or brine.
When evaluating what lime product is best suited for your needs, several things should be taken into consideration:
- Purity and quality of raw materials
- Environmental compliance
- Existing onsite equipment
- Storage and transportation costs
- Process throughput
- Final product specifications
For an in-depth look at how these factors could impact your decision, read the “Quicklime, Hydrate or CALSAFE Lime Slurry?” article in our Knowledge Center.
Hydrated lime is generally considered more safe than caustic as lime has a pH of 12.45 at 25°C compared to caustic which has a pH of 14. As a result, skin contact with hydrated lime is rarely a health hazard, but always is with caustic. Nevertheless, proper PPE should be worn at all times and caution must be taken to properly shield your eyes from contact with hydrated lime. For a full outline of safety guidelines when using hydrated lime, see our Safety Data Sheet.
High calcium hydrated lime is produced from high calcium quicklime. Dolomitic hydrated lime, including Type S and Type SA, is produced from dolomitic quicklime, which is produced from dolomitic limestone. This is limestone with up to approximately 43% of the weight of the stone as magnesium carbonate, as opposed to high calcium limestone which contains less than 5% magnesium carbonate.
Product specifications will vary by location. For more information, including availability and product typicals for your area, contact our team.
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