The effects of limestone characteristics and calcination temperature to the reactivity of the quicklime

This study has examined the effects of limestone characteristics (microstructure and texture) and calcination temperature on the reactivity of the produced quicklime. Two types of limestone have been calcined at four selected temperatures (900 degreesC, 1000 degreesC, 1100 degreesC, 1200 degreesC)? and the produced quicklime was slaked. Chemical, physical, and mineralogical analyses have been performed in limestone, quicklime, and slaked lime samples with the intention of studying the quicklime reactivity Test results indicate that the lower the Limestone calcination temperature, the more reactive the produced quicklime. The optimum calcination temperature is similar to 900 degreesC, which was the temperature performed in traditional limekilns. Concerning the quicklime, the reactivity is related to its microstructure, which is, in turn, related to microstructural characteristics of the limestone (texture, grain size, porosity). The most reliable factors for the estimation of quicklime reactivity are the specific surface area of the quicklime and the rate of temperature increase during the slaking process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.