In the past, it was used for burying victims of deadly diseases such as cholera and plague, so as to prevent them from spreading through air. Like in the pyramids and the Great Wall, quicklime is still a strong component of different materials. Since quicklime can ignite fuel when coming in contact with water, it may have been used to start cooking fires. The chemical equation for this reaction is given below: The aforementioned reaction is carried out in a special lime kiln, where limestone is heated to about 500°C – 600°C. Since quicklime is alkaline in nature, any contact with the skin can cause undesirable reactions that range from mild irritation to full-scale burns. Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Quicklime is a chemical compound which is widely used in the chemical industry. Copyright © Science Struck & Buzzle.com, Inc. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The broadly used term "lime" connotes calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides of calcium, silicon, magnesium, aluminium, and iron predominate. Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as lime or quicklime, is a widely used chemical compound. The silicates bond with the lime to form a liquid called slag, which is immiscible with the molten metal. Calcium oxide, commonly known as lime, is a chemical compound with the formula CaO. Inside the human body, calcium oxide reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide which later breaks down into calcium and hydroxyl ions to be absorbed by the body.☞ It is used to prepare whitewash, a form of white paint used for whitening the walls and other surfaces.☞ It is used to line the inside walls of a furnace owing to its high melting point. ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. The Amazing Uses of Lead That Make it a Versatile Metal. Let’s find out how it’s used. ☞ Quicklime is incandescent (emits an intense glow on heating) when heated to 2400 °C. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. We hope you are enjoying ScienceStruck! Quicklime is produced by heating limestone as shown in the following equation: Before the invention of the electric bulb, limelight was used to illumin… Lead is a main group element, present below tin, in Group 14 of the periodic table. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This bright white light emitted from quicklime is called limelight. ☞ It is used to manufacture medicines, paper, insecticides, and plant and animal food. Calcium oxide, in its direct form, reacts slowly with carbon dioxide. This bright white light emitted from quicklime is called limelight. ☞ It is used as a fertilizer for acidic soils.☞ It is used to remove hair from animal hides. Quicklime is used for the following purposes.☞ It is used to make calcium supplements. High-calcium quicklime is lime made from rich deposits of high-calcium limestone containing less than 5% magnesium carbonate. Therefore, to accelerate the process, it is mixed with water to form carbon hydroxide, also known as slaked lime. ☞ It is used to prepare bleaching powder, calcium carbide, and calcium cyanamide.☞ It is used to purify sugar and soften water.☞ It is used for waste water treatment. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. ☞ Quicklime is incandescent (emits an intense glow on heating) when heated to 2400 °C. When this solution cools down, it forms an amorphous, clear, colorless solid called glass. Quicklime is used to treat biological waste in waste water. This compound is widely used in the industrial sector for a variety of purposes. Quicklime was used in the infamous Holocaust. A thermal decomposition reaction is the one in which a substance breaks down into simple substances, and a single reactant produces two or more products along with the emission of heat. Get in touch with us and we'll talk... Quicklime, also known as burnt lime, is a chemical compound called Calcium oxide (CaO). The chemical equation is as given below: Property : Calcium oxide reacts with carbon dioxide to generate calcium carbonate.Use: Making Mortar☞ Calcium oxide is an essential compound to manufacture cement and mortar. The Nazis would place a thick layer of quicklime on the floor of the cattle cars before loading the Jews. ☞ Quicklime has traditionally been used for the burial of dead bodies in open graves to eliminate the odor of decomposition that attracts flies and insects. Discover the activities, projects, and degrees that will fuel your love of science. Lime is a common chemical used in iron and steel manufacturing, acting as a flux in purifying steel in electric arc furnaces (EAF) and basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). This mortar is used for cementing bricks/stones while constructing buildings. It is used as an ingredient of cement. It is a white, caustic, alkaline, crystalline solid at room temperature. Quicklime is used to remove acidic acids from a power station chimney and as a way of cleaning silica from a blast furnace. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Here, the reactant which is used is limestone (calcium carbonate), whereas the products that are formed are calcium oxide and carbon dioxide. To neutralize highly acidic soils for agriculture. These cookies do not store any personal information. It is a white, alkaline, and crystalline solid. It is used in the manufacture of porcelain and glass. It is also used as a main ingredient in cement and in paper mills. Quicklime is also used in the petroleum industry as an alkali in biodiesel production. Use: Manufacture of High-grade Steel and Iron☞ Metals such as steel and iron are extracted from ores. Fact Check: What Power Does the President Really Have Over State Governors? Let's find out how it's used. Calcium chloride is a calcium salt that has number of properties and uses. It is also used as a main ingredient in cement and in paper mills. Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there! This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is used as a flux to purify steel in metallurgy. These ores contain impurities such as silicates. Calcium oxide can also be derived by heating calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) at high temperatures. Quicklime is made by means of a thermal decomposition reaction. It is believed that quicklime is one of the oldest chemicals known to the human race. It was once used in stage lighting because when heated to over 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, calcium oxide emits a bright glow, called a limelight.