Limestone is a sedimentary rock
Limestone slurry is a versatile and cheap product used widely in industry. Because it has a diverse range of uses, it may be found in cosmetics as well as in materials for building construction. It may also be used as a treatment to detoxify otherwise envronmentally hazardous manufacturing by-products.
Characteristics
Limestone forms around the world as a sedimentary rock; a natural mineral deposit. It is created over millions of years from skeletal remains of marine organisms such as coral.
Chemically, limestone is mainly calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Common limestone forms into grains that are then soluble in water. Limestone slurry is very abrasive and has a caustic pH (a weak acid).
Uses
Limestone slurry is most commonly used to clean coal-burning power plants, where it is effective in removing the sulfur dioxide deposits left over from the burnt coal.
A by-product of this process is gypsum that can then be used to make drywall boards for building construction.
In studies for building construction, it has been proven that limestone slurry gives mortar a faster setting time. It also provides a higher compressive strength when compared with normal Portland cement.
Environmental Impact
All U.S. coal and steel plants must comply with the 1990 Clean Air Act. Limestone slurry is a highly-effective wet scrub to reduce toxic emissions. Because it is cheap and plentiful, limestone is the most used commonly reagent for this purpose.
The slurry reacts well with the toxic sulfur dioxide (SO2) and makes the waste less hazardous to the environment. The waste may then be de-watered and deposited safely in landfills or sold as an ingredient for the manufacture of gypsum wallboard and cement. It may even be used as a fertilizer additive.
Versatility
Because of its cheapness, wide availability and versatile properties, limestone slurry is used worldwide in a whole range of products including cement and mortar.
It is also added to plastics, paint, paper, tiles, and other materials as a whitening pigment as well as a cheap filler in products such as toothpaste. Limestone slurry is also an ingredient in some medicines and cosmetics.
Considerations
Limestone stays only slightly soluble in water. The slurry needs regular agitation; otherwise, the suspended particles will soon settle out and form a solid.
In most cases, slurry is made up of only 20 percent solids, with 80 percent being water. In its slurry form, this adds considerably and unnecessarily to transport costs.
Therefore, limestone slurry is not economically transported over long distances. Most U.S. processors choose to manufacture quicklime and dry hydrated lime instead. Water is added after delivery to make the slurry.
Warning
Controlling the density of the slurries in the manufacturing process is often critical.
Increased temperatures will cause limestone slurry to lose its viscosity. Studies have shown that this is due to the increased kinetic energy of the warming particles. This encourages the breakage of the intermolecular bond that, in turn, causes a decrease in the viscosity of the limestone slurry.
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