UNIT-3

LIME
Lime is one of man's oldest and most vital
chemicals.
The ancient Romans used lime in building and
road construction, uses which continue to the
present day.
From earliest times, lime has been made by
heating limestone (calcium carbonate) to high
temperatures.
This process, known as calcining, results in
quicklime, or calcium oxide.
Hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) is produced by
reacting quicklime with sufficient water to form a
dry, white powder.
➢Lime is obtained from limestone.
➢Pure limestone → CaCO3
➢Impurities → MgCO3, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2
 PRODUCTION STEPS
➢Excavation of limestone
➢Crushing
➢Grinding
➢Calcination → Quicklime
➢Pulverize Quicklime
➢Mixed with water under pressure → Slaked
Lime
➢Drying of Slaked Lime
➢Pulverizing
➢Marketing in bags.
 CLASSIFICATION
Lime is available in the market in three main
types which are:
• Quick lime
• Hydrated lime
• Hydraulic lime
 CALCINATION
➢CaCO3 → CaO + CO2 (>900°C)
Quick lime

➢Calcination is carried out in kilns

• Intermittent
• Continuous
• Rotary
• Reactor
1. Intermittent Kiln

Limestone

Firebricks

Discharge
HEAT quicklime
 2. Continuous Kiln

Limestone
Fuel
Limestone
Fuel
Fuels are Ash +
Limestone Quicklim
wood,
Fuel coal or e
gas
3. Rotary Kiln
-
 4. Reactor Kiln
Ground Limestone Hot Air
Pressure

Quicklime (finely
Cooling divided state)
Hydrated lime
Hydraulic lime
 CLASSIFICATION OF QUICKLIME
1. According to Particle Size
• Lump Lime (10-30 cm lumps)
• Pebble Lime (2-5 cm)
• Granular Lime (~0.5 cm)
• Crushed Lime (~5-8 mm)
• Ground Lime (passes #10 sieve, by
grinding crushed lime)
• Pulverized Lime (passes #100 sieve)
2. According to Chemical Composition
• High-Calcium Quicklimes (~90% of CaO)
• Calcium Quicklime (75% of CaO)
• Magnesian Quicklime (at least 20% of
MgO)
• Dolomitic Quicklime (at least 25% of MgO)

3. According to Intended Use

• Mortar Lime
• Plaster Lime
 SLAKING (HYDRATION) OF LIME
➢CaO + H2O → Ca(OH)2 + Heat

➢CaO is mixed with water in a slaking box

until a “putty” has been formed.

➢The putty is then covered with sand to

protect it from the action of the air & left for
seasoning.

➢Time of seasoning →1 week for mortar use

6 weeks for plaster use
➢ If CaO is not slaked well, it will absorb moisture
from air & since the volume expands upto 2.5-3
times popouts will occur.

➢ The slaked lime can also be bought from a factory.

It is more homogeneous & economical but less
plastic.

➢ Seasoning provides a homogeneous mass &

completion of chemical reactions

➢ During slaking heat evolves & volume expands.

 HARDENING OF SLAKED LIME
➢Ca (OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3 + H2O

AIR SLAKED LIME

➢When quicklime (CaO) is left uncovered it

picks up moisture and CO2 from air &
becomes partly CaCO3.
➢CaO + H2O → Ca(OH)2
➢Ca(OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3 + H2O
 LIME POPS
➢If quicklime is not mixed completely with
water, some CaO will be carried to
construction stage.

➢In its final stage it will absorb water & CO2

from air and will expand upto 2.5-3 times.

➢This will cause cracking & pop-ups in the

structure.
 PROPERTIES OF LIME
MORTARS
➢By adding sand to lime, lime mortar is
obtained.

➢Adjusting plasticity

➢Gaining economy

➢Decreasing shrinkage effects

 STRENGTH OF LIME MORTARS

➢ Chemical composition of lime

Magnesian Limes > Calcium Limes

➢ Sand amount & properties

Adding sand decreases strength

➢ Amount of water
Voids are formed after evaporation

➢ Setting conditions
Lower humidity & higher CO2 higher strength
 PROPERTIES OF HIGH CALCIUM
LIMES
➢Slakes faster

➢Hardens faster

➢Have greater sand carrying capacity

 HYDRAULIC LIME

➢A lime obtained by calcination of siliceous

or clayey limestone at higher temperature

➢It differs from quicklime:

• Burned at higher temperature

• It contains lime silicates

• It can set & harden under water

 USES OF LIME
• Lime is very useful material that finds extensive
applications in building construction, industry
and agriculture.
(a) As a construction material:
• Lime was used as main binding material in all
types of construction till 19th century.
• Even now lime can compete with Portland
Cement in many types of construction.
• as a mortar (lime-mortar) mixed with sand or
surkhi.
• as a plaster
• • as a whitewash which gives sparking white
finish at a very low cost
 USES OF LIME
• as a lime-concrete similar to cement concrete
made by mixing lime, sand and coarse
aggregate in proper proportions
• as sand-lime bricks which are quite popular in
many countries
(b) As an industrial material:
In industries lime find use as
• A flux in the metallurgical industry
• as a refractory material for lining metallurgical
furnaces
• as a raw material for the manufacture of glass
 USES OF LIME

(c) An agricultural input:

• Lime is used to to improve productive qualities of
soil and added to the poor soils to enrich their
lime content
• Lime has also been used for soil stabilization.
LIME: PROPERTIES
1. Lime Allows Buildings To Breathe
• One of the reasons lime binders are promoted
by the Society for the protection of ancient
buildings for repairs is because they are vapour
permeable and allow buildings to breathe.
• This reduces the risk of trapped moisture and
consequent damage to the building fabric
2. Lime Provides A Comfortable Environment
• Porous and open textured materials such as
lime plasters, help to stabilize the internal
humidity of a building by absorbing and
releasing moisture.
• This makes for a more comfortable environment
and reduces surface condensation and mould
growth.
3. The Use Of Lime Has Ecological Benefits
• Lime has less embodied energy than cement.
• Free lime absorbs carbon dioxide in the setting
process of carbonation.
• It is possible to produce lime on a small scale.
• The gentle binding properties of lime enable full
re-use of other materials
• A very low proportion of quicklime will stabilize
clay soils.
4. Lime Binds Gently With Early Adhesion
• The fine particle size of lime, far smaller than
cement, is linked to the root meaning of the word
lime, which is 'sticky material'.
• Due to the fine particle size, lime mixes
penetrate minute voids in the background more
deeply than other materials.
• They bind gently and the stickiness gives good
adhesion to other surfaces.
5. Lime Mortar Can Protect Adjacent Materials
Lime mortars with a high free lime content are
porous and permeable. These characteristics
allow lime mortars to protect adjacent materials
 by handling moisture movements through the
building fabric and protecting them from harmful
salts. Adjacent materials frequently affected this
includes timber and iron as well as stone and
brick masonry.
6. Lime Mixes Have Good Workability
• The ability of a mortar or plaster to remain
smooth and mouldable, even against the suction
it may experience from porous building
materials, is termed workability.
• Good workability greatly assists good
workmanship, helping to achieve full joints with
good bonding to the other materials.
• This is what makes lime based mixes such a
pleasure to use.
• The workability provided by the lime allows the
inclusion of widely graded and sharp aggregates
in the mix. These enhance both the performance
and the aesthetic of the finished work.
7. Lime Binders Can Be Durable And Have
Stood The Test Of Time
When used carefully, lime is exceptionally
durable. Caesar's Tower at Warwick Castle has
stood the test of time for over 600 years, and
many cathedrals have stood longer.
An outstanding example is the Pantheon Temple
in Rome which has a lime concrete dome
spanning over 43 metres (142 feet).
8. Lime Finishes Are Beautiful
The double refraction of light through calcite
crystals give a unique aesthetic combining a soft
texture with a lustre that has a liveliness and
delight of its own.
The graceful softness apparent in lime based
materials is a visual indication of their intrinsic
permeability, workability and soft binding
properties.
9. Lime Contributes To A Healthy Environment
• Lime is caustic and has been extensively used,
often in the form of limewash, for its disinfectant
qualities
• Lime is also used for water purification. Lime
mortars, plasters, renders and limewash have
been used to create hygienic surfaces and
improve comfort conditions within buildings for
thousands of years.

10. Self Healing

The nature of ground conditions and the elements
are such that all buildings are subject to varying
degrees of movement over time. When buildings
made with lime are subject to small movements
they are more likely to develop many fine cracks
than the individual large cracks which occur in
 stiffer cement-bound buildings. Water penetration
can dissolve the 'free' lime and transport it. As the
water evaporates this lime is deposited and
begins to heal the cracks. This process is called
autogenous, or self healing.
11. Free Lime Encourages the Growth of Calcite
Crystals
Calcite crystals are a different shape to those
formed by the more complex compounds in
hydraulic limes and cements. The crystals form in
voids in lime rich environments. The growth of
calcite crystals adds strength over time and
generally provides a more open and permeable
material than the denser eminently hydraulic and
OPC mixes with little or no free lime.
13. Local Limes Enhance Regional Identity And
Diversity
The diversity of limestone types provides variety
and local distinctiveness. Different limes will vary
in colour, texture and setting properties. Local
limes have a regional identity, they give a sense
of place and provide a continuous link with the
local aesthetic. Local colour is the obvious
example in respect of limewashes.
14. Disfiguring By Cement Can Be Avoided By
The Use Of Lime
On site the temptation to use quick and easy
solutions for short term gain can lead to long term
problems. The attraction of using excess cement
to be 'safe' is understandable if not desirable.
 The fact that it is plentiful, inexpensive and readily
available adds to the problem. There is a high
probability that over-strong and dense mixes that
are not fit for purpose will be used in excess. The
physical damage and unsightly aesthetic that
results from this can be avoided by the use of
lime.
15. Indefinite Shelf Life
Non-hydraulic limes have an indefinite shelf life
when stored without access to air, usually as a
putty under water or in sealed containers. In fact
the quality of the putty improves the longer it is
stored.
 Assignment
Write short notes on:
• Quick lime
• Hydrated lime
• Hydraullic lime
• Properties of lime
• Lime mortar
• Uses of lime
• Random rubble masonary and Ashlar
masonary in stones (From Previous
chapter)