Question

Give two uses of quick lime.

Answer 1

Quick lime

• Quick lime is calcium oxide $\left(\mathrm{CaO}\right)$.
• It is a white, caustic, alkaline and crystalline solid at room temperature.
• It is derived from high-quality, natural deposits of limestone (calcium carbonate).

Preparation of quick lime

• Quick lime is prepared by the thermal decomposition of limestone.
• Lime is stone is calcium carbonate, it is prepared by passing carbon dioxide gas through calcium hydroxide (slaked lime).
• Lime stone is further used in the preparation of Quick lime.
• Calcium carbonate (limestone) is heated approximately at 900 degrees. At this temperature, calcium carbonate burns and carbon dioxide is forced, and the limestone is converted to Quicklime.

$\underset{\mathrm{Calcium}\mathrm{carbonate}}{{\mathrm{CaCO}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Calcium}\mathrm{oxide}}{\mathrm{CaO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Carbon}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$

Uses of quick lime

• It is used for medicinal purposes and insecticides.
• They are used in laboratories for dehydration, precipitation, etc.
• It is cheap and therefore used in the manufacturing of alkalis.

Therefore, quick lime has a wide range of applications in laboratories and industries.