Sorry for the delay in between posts. I had promised myself to blog daily, but the past week has been rather hectic. Kim Floyd, who has been the helpful voice over the phone and at the front desk for over 6 years has moved on to Sweet Briar College, where she will be one of the managers of their catering department. Kim's been a vital part of our team over the years and will be missed. Her absence has caused "blogging" to drop down on the list of daily priorities.
In my previous post I mentioned we'd be talking about the first stage of the lime cycle: The raw material. To start making lime, you must have a source of calcium carbonate. This calcium carbonate can be in the form of stone, shell, coral, marble, marl, and more. Each form of CaCO3 has different properties. For example the molecular structure of limestone is plate-like, whereas the molecular structure of the more "organic" oystershell is composed of tightly interwoven strands of CaCO3.
When burning limestone, the raw mineral's mineralogy will play a huge factor in the end product. High calcium limes are relatively simple to burn, whereas magnesian and dolomitic limes may be a bit more difficult to hydrate due to the lower temperatures in which magnesium carbonate converts. If your limestone contains varying levels of silica and "clay minerals" your raw stone may yield hydraulic (or water setting) limes. If the limestone contains high levels of these minerals your stone may not yield a lime at all and may in fact produce a natural cement.
Next up... Burning.
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