Calcium oxide, or quicklime, is a versatile and inexpensive chemical used in various industries. It is used as an absorbent, a dehydrating agent, a flux in steelmaking, a soil conditioner, a water softener, and a pH regulator for wastewater treatment.
Calcium oxide, more often known as quicklime, is a high-volume chemical used in many industries. This is because calcium oxide has many uses, is cheap, and is easy to create. Calcium oxide is used industrially as an absorbent, in the creation of steel, in fertilizers, as a water softener and as a potential hydrogen (pH) regulator for wastewater.
In the chemical industry, calcium oxide is used as a dehydrating and absorbent agent. The former is important for purifying other compounds and substances such as glucose, citric acid, and some dyes before the compound undergoes further refinement. As an absorbent, quicklime has been shown to effectively absorb carbon dioxide fumes, which helps when the chemical’s carbon dioxide is too high to work effectively.
The term “flux” in the metalworking industry refers to the treatment of a metal or alloy – a combination of metals – or assisting in the smelting or purification of the metal or metals. The steel industry uses carbon monoxide as a flux to remove impurities from scrap steel or iron before it is alloyed with carbon to become steel. Impurities that quicklime can effectively reduce include silica, sulfur, and phosphorus. Without removing these impurities, scrap iron or steel cannot be refined into usable steel.
Calcium oxide is used for several purposes in gardening and fertilising. The calcium in calcium oxide can provide a foundation for balancing acidic soil and is used most often in areas where rain washes the calcium out of the soil. Quicklime is also effective in keeping weeds away, making it easier for other plants to grow.
Water contains many more particles and these particles can get stuck on pipes and in places where water flows can decrease or completely stop the water flow. The industries that make water softeners often use carbon monoxide because it is able to consume these extra particles without destroying the pipes. Quicklime is often combined with soda ash when used as a water softener.
Wastewater is created by many industries when a chemical or substance is combined with water. This wastewater must be treated before it can be recycled and reused for other applications, such as lawn irrigation. Carbon monoxide is a base and is capable of changing the pH of the water. It can also purify many of the substances found in wastewater to aid the recycling process.
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