Limestone is blasted from the quarry face before being broken down in a usable size, washed and taken on a conveyor belt to the kilns.

The kilns are highly thermal efficient, using a process  known as parallel regenerative flow. The control of the Kiln relies on  sophisticated computer software.

Lime is discharged from the Kilns into hoppers where it is crushed and in screened. The lime is then prepared and sold as granular quicklime or hydrated to produce hydrated lime.

Limestone/Chalk
Chemical Name - Calcium Carbonate
Chemical Formula CaCO3
Synonyms calcium carbonate, limestone, chalk
Molecular Mass 100.09
Decomposes when calcined at 900°C to form calcium oxide



Calcining (or burning) - This involves heating the limestone chalk to approx.
1100 °C in a kiln CaCO3 = CaO + CO2



Quicklime
Chemical Name - Calcium Oxide
Chemical Formula CaO
Synonyms calcium oxide, quicklime, burnt lime
Molecular Mass 56.08 Melts at 2614 °C, boils at 2850 °C



Hydration (or slaking) - This involves adding water, which produces an exothermic reaction (gives out heat). CaO + H2O = Ca(OH)2



Hydrated Lime
Chemical Name - Calcium Hydroxide
Chemical Formula Ca(OH)2
Synonyms calcium hydroxide, hydrated lime, slaked lime,
Molecular Mass 74.09
Decomposes at 580°C to form calcium oxide



Re - Carbonation - This involves reaction with carbon dioxide to return to chalk
Ca(OH)2 + CO2 = CaCO3+ H2O (Back to calcium carbonate, this is sometimes known as precipitated calcium carbonate or PCC)