Lime Burner (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Friday, March 27, 2009, 02:17 (5793 days ago) @ mariane

Do you like to live on the edge? How about creating and handling an extremely nasty chemical agent to make a vital component of mortar?

Running a lime kiln requires you to supervise the heating of chalk – or, near the coast, oyster shells – until they start producing carbon dioxide. This can easily make you drowsy or even paralyse you before you suffocate. Don't worry, though – you only have to sit with the kiln for 48 hours at a time.

If you really like a risky challenge, the next process could be for you. The hard cake of quicklime (calcium oxide) is taken from the kiln and added to water. It immediately reacts, producing intense heat and a shower of caustic, agony-inducing specks of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). These crumbly grains are then crushed into lime powder, which will be added to sand to make mortar. You obviously don't need safety goggles because they haven't been invented yet.

< updated 28/3/09>

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>