caustic lime
Definition
- Noun:
- A caustic substance produced by heating limestone: A white, alkaline, crystalline solid, chemically calcium oxide (CaO), created through the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate). It is highly reactive, especially with water, releasing heat in the process.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The old recipe called for caustic lime to be slaked with water before making mortar.
- Workers must wear protective gear when handling caustic lime due to its corrosive nature.
- The chemical plant produces caustic lime as a key ingredient for industrial processes.
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Industrial Context: The term is primarily used in industrial, construction, and chemical contexts rather than in everyday conversation. It often appears in discussions about manufacturing, water treatment, soil stabilization, and traditional building methods.
- The purification process involves adding caustic lime to adjust the pH level.
Variants and Related Words
- Quicklime: A direct synonym for caustic lime.
- Calcium oxide (CaO): The systematic chemical name.
- Unslaked lime: Another term emphasizing it has not been mixed with water.
- Lime: A broader, more common term that can refer to caustic lime (quicklime), but also to the fruit or to slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). Context is crucial.
- Slaked lime / Hydrated lime: Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂), the product formed when caustic lime reacts with water.
Synonyms
- Quicklime
- Calcium oxide
- Unslaked lime
- Burnt lime
Related Phrases/Compounds
- Lime kiln: A furnace used to produce caustic lime by calcining limestone.
- Lime mortar: A traditional building mortar made by mixing caustic lime (after slaking), sand, and water.
- Limewater: A dilute solution of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), not caustic lime itself.
Noun
-
a caustic substance produced by heating limestone
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