burnt lime
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A white, caustic, alkaline crystalline solid: Burnt lime is the common name for calcium oxide (CaO), a chemical compound produced by heating limestone (calcium carbonate) at high temperatures. It is a key industrial material.
Usage
- Burnt lime is primarily used in industrial processes.
- It reacts vigorously with water, releasing heat in a process called slaking, to produce slaked lime (calcium hydroxide).
Examples
Advanced Usage
- In Metallurgy: Burnt lime is essential in steelmaking to remove silica and other acidic impurities, forming a slag.
- In Chemical Production: It is a starting material for producing calcium hydroxide, calcium carbide, and other chemicals.
- In Environmental Applications: It is used in flue gas desulfurization to remove sulfur dioxide from exhaust gases.
Variants and Related Words
- Calcium Oxide (CaO): The systematic chemical name for burnt lime.
- Quicklime: A synonym for burnt lime, emphasizing its reactive nature.
- Lime: A broader term that can refer to calcium oxide (burnt/quicklime), calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), or even the fruit.
- Unslaked Lime: Another synonym for burnt lime, indicating it has not been reacted with water.
Synonyms
- Quicklime
- Calcium oxide
- Unslaked lime
- Calx (archaic)
Notes on Meaning
- "Burnt" in this context refers to the calcination (heating) process used to produce it from limestone, not to being damaged by fire.
- It is distinct from "slaked lime" (calcium hydroxide), which is the product of its reaction with water.
- It is also distinct from "agricultural lime", which is usually crushed limestone (calcium carbonate) used to reduce soil acidity.
Noun
- a white crystalline oxide used in the production of calcium hydroxide