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

Abstract 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°C, 1000°C, 1100°C, 1200°C), 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 ∼900°C, 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.