Lime Production

When limestone is heated, quicklime (calcium oxide) is produced in the form of lump lime: CaCO3 + heat => CaO + CO2 The reaction occurs at approximately 900°C. However, the firing temperature is maintained at 1,000 to 1,100 °C in the shaft kiln to ensure a complete reaction of the calcium carbonate while keeping the reactivity of the burnt lime consistently high. Since 2013, natural gas has been used as fuel for the firing process. The lime shaft kiln operates almost continuously, meaning that lump lime is constantly discharged in batches from the bottom while limestone is fed in from the top. The lump lime is largely sold to the steel industry. It is also ground into white fine lime or slaked into calcium hydroxide.