Page 22 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Using calcium oxide
Lime is a greyish white powder made by heating limestone. Lime (also called quicklime, see page 20) is one of the most important chemicals known, being sixth after salt, coal, sulphur, air, and water in the amounts used in our world.
It is used as a foundation for making many other chemicals.
Mortar
Lime has been used since early times as a simple form of cement known as a mortar. When lime reacts with water, it gives off heat and changes to a new material that is an adhesive (glue). As the water evaporates, the mortar hardens.
Over time carbon dioxide gas, a natural part of the atmosphere, reacts with the mortar, turning it back into the calcium carbonate from which
it was originally made.
It then falls away as a white powder.
Glass
Lime is used in the making of glass, where it adds hardness and makes the glass insoluble.
Burials and compost
heaps
Lime is also a nasty substance to deal with in its pure form.
It is caustic, can burn the
skin and cause trouble if
 In the interests of economy these Balinese Geruda images have been cast in concrete although they used to be carved from basalt.
the powder is breathed in. Lime was traditionally used in burials to hasten the decomposition of bodies.
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