lime processing plant

Lime is an important industrial material, mainly calcined from limestone (CaCO₃), with the main components being calcium oxide (CaO) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂). At present, the global annual production of lime exceeds 300 million tons, and it is widely used in construction, metallurgy, environmental protection, chemical industry and agriculture. With the development of industry, the demand for high-purity lime and special lime (such as high-calcium lime, desulfurized lime, etc.) continues to grow, driving the continuous optimization of processing technology.

Lime has a wide range of uses. In the construction industry, it is used to produce cement, mortar and lime-based building materials; in the metallurgical industry, it is used as a steelmaking flux to remove impurities; in the environmental protection field, it is used for wastewater treatment and flue gas desulfurization (FGD); in the chemical industry, it is used to manufacture bleaching powder, calcium carbonate and other products; in agriculture, it is used to adjust soil pH and supplement calcium. In addition, food-grade lime is used for sugar production and drinking water purification, and pharmaceutical-grade lime is used for disinfection and pharmaceutical manufacturing, showing its diverse application value.

The lime processing process mainly includes four steps: crushing, calcination, digestion and refining. First, limestone is crushed into appropriate particle sizes, then calcined in a rotary kiln or vertical kiln at 900–1200°C to decompose into quicklime (CaO) and CO₂. Quicklime is digested with water to produce molten lime (Ca(OH)₂), which is then ground and graded to obtain products of different fineness. Modern processing plants use automated control systems to optimize energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions, while recycling CO₂ for chemical production to achieve green manufacturing.

The lime processing industry is developing in an efficient and environmentally friendly direction, improving resource utilization through technological innovation, meeting the needs of various industries, while reducing environmental impact and contributing to sustainable development.