Calcium oxide
Encyclopedia
Calcium oxide commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound
. It is a white, caustic, alkali
ne crystal
line solid at room temperature.
The broadly used term lime connotes calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides of calcium, silicon, magnesium, aluminium, and iron predominate, such as limestone
. By contrast, quicklime specifically applies to a single chemical compound.
oxide
is usually made by the thermal decomposition of materials such as limestone
, that contain calcium carbonate
(CaCO3; mineral calcite
) in a lime kiln. This is accomplished by heating the material to above 825 °C, a process called calcination
or lime-burning, to liberate a molecule of carbon dioxide
(CO2); leaving quicklime. The quicklime is not stable and, when cooled, will spontaneously
react with CO2 from the air until, after enough time, it is completely converted back to calcium carbonate.
Quicklime produces heat
energy
by the formation of the hydrate, calcium hydroxide
, by the following equation:
The product, commonly called "quicklime", has many uses on its own. As it hydrates, an exothermic reaction results and the solid puffs up. The hydrate can be reconverted to quicklime by removing the water by heating it to redness to reverse the hydration reaction. One liter of water combines with approximately 3.1 kg of quicklime to give calcium hydroxide plus 3.54 MJ
of energy. This process can be used to provide a convenient portable source of heat, as for on-the-spot food warming in a self-heating can
.
When quicklime is heated to 2400 °C (4300 °F), it emits an intense glow. This form of illumination is known as a limelight
, and was used broadly in theatrical productions prior to the invention of electric lighting.
Precipitated calcium carbonate
is made by mixing calcium oxide into water, and then bubbling carbon dioxide into the solution. It is used by itself or with additives as a white paint, known as whitewashing.
Calcium Oxide is also a key ingredient for the process of making cement.
Annual worldwide production of quicklime is around 283 million metric tons. China is by far the world's largest producer, with a total of around 170 million metric tons per year. The United States is the next largest with around 20 million metric tons per year.
, in his history of England, recounts that early in the reign of Henry III
, the English Navy destroyed an invading French fleet by blinding the enemy fleet with quicklime:
Quicklime is also thought to have been a component of Greek fire
. Upon contact with water, quicklime would increase its temperature above 150 °C and ignite the fuel.
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
. It is a white, caustic, alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
ne crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
line solid at room temperature.
The broadly used term lime connotes calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides of calcium, silicon, magnesium, aluminium, and iron predominate, such as limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. By contrast, quicklime specifically applies to a single chemical compound.
Preparation
CalciumCalcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
oxide
Oxide
An oxide is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom in its chemical formula. Metal oxides typically contain an anion of oxygen in the oxidation state of −2....
is usually made by the thermal decomposition of materials such as limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, that contain calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
(CaCO3; mineral calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
) in a lime kiln. This is accomplished by heating the material to above 825 °C, a process called calcination
Calcination
Calcination is a thermal treatment process applied to ores and other solid materials to bring about a thermal decomposition, phase transition, or removal of a volatile fraction. The calcination process normally takes place at temperatures below the melting point of the product materials...
or lime-burning, to liberate a molecule of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
(CO2); leaving quicklime. The quicklime is not stable and, when cooled, will spontaneously
Spontaneous process
A spontaneous process is the time-evolution of a system in which it releases free energy and moves to a lower, more thermodynamically stable energy state...
react with CO2 from the air until, after enough time, it is completely converted back to calcium carbonate.
Usage
Quicklime is relatively inexpensive. Both it and a chemical derivative (calcium hydroxide) are important commodity chemicals.Quicklime produces heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
by the formation of the hydrate, calcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or...
, by the following equation:
- CaO (s) + H2O (l) Ca(OH)2 (aq) (ΔHr = −63.7 kJ/mol of CaO)
The product, commonly called "quicklime", has many uses on its own. As it hydrates, an exothermic reaction results and the solid puffs up. The hydrate can be reconverted to quicklime by removing the water by heating it to redness to reverse the hydration reaction. One liter of water combines with approximately 3.1 kg of quicklime to give calcium hydroxide plus 3.54 MJ
Joule
The joule ; symbol J) is a derived unit of energy or work in the International System of Units. It is equal to the energy expended in applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre , or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second...
of energy. This process can be used to provide a convenient portable source of heat, as for on-the-spot food warming in a self-heating can
Self-heating can
A self-heating can is an enhancement of the common food can. Self-heating cans have dual chambers, one surrounding the other. The inner chamber holds the food or drink, and the outer chamber houses chemicals that undergo an exothermic reaction when combined...
.
When quicklime is heated to 2400 °C (4300 °F), it emits an intense glow. This form of illumination is known as a limelight
Limelight
Limelight is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created when an oxyhydrogen flame is directed at a cylinder of quicklime , which can be heated to 2572 °C before melting. The light is produced by a combination of incandescence and...
, and was used broadly in theatrical productions prior to the invention of electric lighting.
Precipitated calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
is made by mixing calcium oxide into water, and then bubbling carbon dioxide into the solution. It is used by itself or with additives as a white paint, known as whitewashing.
Calcium Oxide is also a key ingredient for the process of making cement.
Annual worldwide production of quicklime is around 283 million metric tons. China is by far the world's largest producer, with a total of around 170 million metric tons per year. The United States is the next largest with around 20 million metric tons per year.
Use as a weapon
Historian and philosopher David Hume of GodscroftDavid Hume of Godscroft
David Hume was a Scottish historian and political theorist, poet and controversialist, a major intellectual figure in Jacobean Scotland. He also spent a decade as pastor of a Protestant congregation in France.-Life:...
, in his history of England, recounts that early in the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, the English Navy destroyed an invading French fleet by blinding the enemy fleet with quicklime:
Quicklime is also thought to have been a component of Greek fire
Greek fire
Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning while floating on water....
. Upon contact with water, quicklime would increase its temperature above 150 °C and ignite the fuel.