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This is different than drying in which evaporation of water takes place. In the case of
hardening, chemical action takes place.
Slaking: Quick lime has large affinity for moisture. Adding water in sufficient
quantity to quick lime in known as slaking. When water is added to quick lime, it
swells and cracks. Lot of heat in also generated and the lime gets converted into
hydrated lime or calcium hydrate (Ca (OH)2)
CaO + H 2O
Ca
(OH)2
Slaked Lime: The product, obtained after slaking quick lime is called slaked lime or
hydrated lime. During slaking lot of heat is generated with hissing sound. Quick lime
requires about 32% of water by volume. But due to various factors like method of
slaking, degree of burning, composition of lime etc, water required for slaking is
taken about 2 to 3 times the volume of the quick lime. Rate of slaking is affected by
the size of burnt lime lumps and temp of atmosphere. Slaking can be done with
steam very speedily, under increased pressure in closed drums. Hydrated lime
obtained in the form of powder is available in the market is packed bags. When
sand and water are added to this, we get lime mortar. The slaked lime should be
used fresh, because it has the tendency to absorb Carbonic acid from the
atmosphere in the presence of moisture. This leads to formation of carbonates of
lime as follow:
H 2CO3
H2O + CO2
Ca (OH) 2 + CO2
CaCO3 + H2O
The slaked lime thus gets converted into carbonate of lime and such slaked lime
becomes useless, as it loses setting property. Therefore the slaked lime should not
be kept in a damp place.
Hydraulicity: It is the property due to which lime sets in damp places.
Varieties of Lime:
Depending upon the sources, lime may be of the following 3 varieties.
1. Stone Lime It is almost pure lime
2. Kankar Lime It is impure or adulterated
3. Shell Lime It is purest form of lime.
Classification of Lime:
Lime may be classified in to following 3 categories.
1. Fat Lime 2. Hydraulic Lime 3. Poor Lime
1. Fat Lime: This lime is known as fat lime, because it increases 2 to 2.5 times in
volume, when slaked. This lime is obtained by burning comparatively pure lime
stone. This lime is also called pure lime, white lime, rich lime or high calcium lime.
The lime stone from which this lime is obtained, should contain about 95% calcium
oxide and other 5% impurities. When the lime stone containing calcium carbonate is
burnt in atmosphere, carbon oxide is driven out, leaving behind Calcium oxide
known as quick lime. Fat lime is obtained by slaking quick lime.
Setting of this lime entirely depends on atmospheric oxygen. For setting this lime
absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. After chemical reaction, this lime gets
converted into CaCO3 which is a hard substance and insoluble in water. This reaction
is called setting of fat lime.
d) It can set under situations where free air cannot reach. This is because
setting action of this lime does not depend on the atmospheric air.
e) This Lime is not perfectly white and appears less sanitary than fat lime.
f) It is not soluble in water, but forms a thin plastic paste with water.
g) This lime should be finely ground before mixing with sand and used for
plastering work. If not some of the thick particles of lime may slake even
after a month (Slow slaking action) and may spoil the plastered surface
after words. This action is called blistering. It is good, if mortar prepared
from this lime are kept heaped up for a weak before use.
3. Poor Lime: This lime contains more than 30% of clay. It slakes very slowly
and is insoluble in water. It forms a plastic paste with water. This lime is also
called as Lean lime or impure lime. This lime hardens and sets very slowly.
This lime form very week mortar and used for interior works only.
Comparison between fat lime and hydraulic lime
Item
1. Compositi
on
Fat Lime
It is obtained from pure lime stone in
which other impurities dont exceed
5%
2. Colour
3. Slaking
4. Setting
5. Hydraulici
ty
6. Strength
Hydraulic Lime
It is obtained from Kankar
and other lime stones
containing 5-30% of clay
contents
and
some
amount of ferrous oxide.
Its colour is not white
because of presence of
silica, alumina and iron
oxide
in
certain
proportions.
Slaking action is slow
depending
on
clay
contents and no sound
and heat is generated or
there will be no increase
in volume.
1. It sets under water.
2. It combines with water
and
form
crystal
of
hydrated
Tri-calcium
aluminate and Di-calcium
silicate.
It
possesses
hydraulic
property and sets under
water.
It is strong and can be
used where strength is
required.
7. Uses
8. Shrinkage
Comp Strength:
Class A -- Lime after 14 days > 17.5 kgs/cm 2
28 days > 28 kgs/cm 2
Class B -14 days > 12.5 kgs/cm 2
28 days > 17.5 kgs/cm 2
Class E -14 days > 10.5 kgs/cm 2
28 days > 17.5 kgs/cm 2
Soundness test: Is conducted for class A and B (Hydrated) and class E limes.
In all these, Le-chatelier molds must not exhibit more than 10mm expansion.
Workability test: Is done for class C and D limes. In quick lime form, they shall
require not less than 12 bumps to attain an average spread of 19 Cms from an
initial spread of 11 cm on the flow table. In hydrated form, they shall require not
less than 10 bumps to attain the same average spread of 19cm from an initial
spread of 11cm on flow tables.
Slaking of burnt calcined lime: It is a process by which the lime is made suitable
for use in engineering works. The quick lime obtained after burning lime stone has
great affinity for moisture. When quick lime is exposed to atmosphere, it starts
getting moistures from air and thus starts slaking. This process of slaking is very
slow, as availability of moisture from atmospheric air is limited. The phenomenon of
slaking quick lime by atmospheric air is called air slaking or natural slaking.
Slaking of quick lime at construction sites is done with help of water. The slaking of
lime with the help water can be divided into 2 parts.
1. Slaking to paste: Quick lime is added in a tank containing water about 2 to
3 times, the volume of quick lime to be slaked. The moisture is kept stirred
for some time, so that no particle which can slake will remain un-slaked.
In fact slaking to paste can be done with the help of pair of tanks as shown in the fig
below:
The two tanks are so located such that the level of the lower tank is lower than the
bottom level of the upper tank. By this arrangements, the contents of the upper
tank can be poured in to the lower tank. Both the tanks remain connected by a hole
at bottom of common wall.
Lime is first slaked in upper tank. During slaking the hole between the tanks is kept
closed. Now the hole is opened and all the dissolved contents gets poured into the
lower tank, leaving behind un-slaked and bigger particles in the upper tank. Water
from the lower tank is partly evaporated and partly percolated in a time of one or
two days. The white solution of lime, is converted into paste during this time. The
hole between the tanks should be fitted with a sieve to prevent movement of bigger
particles from upper to lower tank. This is called slaking of lime to paste.
Slaking to powder: In this method, quick lime is spread on a pucca cemented
platform in a layer of 12cm thick. Water is sprinkled on this layer with the help of
cans fitted with a nozzle. The lime slakes and gets reduced to powder form. The
heap of lime is turned once or twice upside down during sprinkling of water. The
lime
is
than
screened
through
a
sieve
of 3 meshes to remove unburnt lumps and other foreign mattes and the screened
lime is used for making mortar
Natural hydraulic lime: In manufactured by calcining Kankar, which is an impure
form of lime stone. Kankar may be available in the form of blocks or nodules.
Nodules of Kankar are found at the surface or slightly embedded in ground, whereas
Kankar blocks are found at the river banks. Kankar is quarried with the help of crow
bars and pick axes. Quarried Kankar is washed and crushed into suitable sized
pebbles. Calcination of Kankar is done in the kilns and slaking operation of
hydraulic lime is very slow. Generally calcined Kankar is first of all ground dried and
water is sprinkled over it.
Artificial hydraulic lime: If natural raw material is not available, hydraulic lime is
manufactured by using fat lime. Fat lime is converted into artificial hydraulic lime by
adding clay and other constituents that produce hydraulicity. Method of conversion
depends on type of lime stone. If limestone to be used is of very soft nature like
chalk, it is first ground into fine powder and mixed with appropriate quantity of clay
and burnt in kiln. The resulting powder is slaked by sprinkling water. The lime
manufactured thus has all the properties of hydraulic lime.
If the limestone from which hydraulic lime to be manufactured is of hard variety, it
is first burnt and slaked like fat lime. To the slaked lime, required proportion of clay
is added and the mixture is cast into suitable sized balls. The balls are allowed to
dry and burnt in kiln. The resulting product is an artificial variety of hydraulic lime.
As this lime is produced by burning twice in kiln, it is also called twice kilned lime.
Testing of lime:
1. Hydraulic lime mortar
Lime: Sand: 1:3
2. Adhesive strength (With bricks) after 7 days curing 2.25 kg/cm 2
3. Tensile strength (Briquette test ) after 21 days of curing 6.3 kg/cm 2