Calcium cycle – Lime binder (quicklime) obtained by subjecting a limestone (calcium) firing at a temperature of approx. 1273 K (1000°C). The calcium carbonate is decomposed into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide.
When slaking lime, calcium oxide binds water and forms calcium hydroxide (slaked lime).
Hardening (tie) slaked lime is about this, that the calcium hydroxide brings back the carbon dioxide and gives off the water, as a result, calcium carbonate is formed again.
Air lime consists only of calcium oxide (High), calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 or calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The hydraulic lime also contains compounds of the hydraulic type: silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum trioxide (AI2O3) and iron trioxide (Fe2O3). That is why air lime binds only carbon dioxide during hardening, while hydraulic lime additionally chemically binds the water. Air lime only hardens in air; whereas the hydraulic lime hardens, after sufficiently long maturation in air, also under water.
Hydraulic lime hardens faster than air lime and has a higher strength.
What are the types of air lime?
The types of air lime include: ordinary lime (White), dolomite and carbide.
What are the types of hydraulic lime?
The types of hydraulic lime are: weakly hydraulic lime, hydraulic and highly hydraulic.