Lime Kiln

A lime kiln is used to produce quicklime through the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate). The chemical equation for this reaction is

CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2

This reaction takes place at 900°C (at which temperature the partial pressure of CO2 is 1 atmosphere), but a temperature around 1000°C (at which temperature the partial pressure of CO2 is 3.8 atmospheres) is usually used to make the reaction proceed quickly. Excessive temperature is avoided because it produces unreactive, "dead-burned" lime.

Read more about Lime Kiln:  Early Lime Use, Early Kilns, Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Famous quotes containing the word lime:

    In our large cities, the population is godless, materialized,—no bond, no fellow-feeling, no enthusiasm. These are not men, but hungers, thirsts, fevers, and appetites walking. How is it people manage to live on,—so aimless as they are? After their peppercorn aims are gained, it seems as if the lime in their bones alone held them together, and not any worthy purpose.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)