Calcium Hydroxide
Main applications: 1. It can be used as a raw material for producing calcium carbonate. 2. Being alkaline, it can reduce soil acidity and thus improve soil structure. Bordeaux mixture in pesticides is prepared from milk of lime (calcium hydroxide dissolved in water) and copper sulphate solution in a certain proportion. In winter, lime slurry is applied 80 cm above tree roots to protect the trees from pests.
3. Premium grades are mainly used to produce epichlorohydrin and propylene oxide. 4. It can be used in additives for rubber and the petrochemical industry; for example, when added to lubricating oil in the petroleum industry it prevents coking and sludge deposition and provides neutralization and anti-corrosion effects. 5. It is used to make bleaching powder, bleaching concentrate, disinfectants, antacids, astringents, water softeners, soil acidity inhibitors, depilatory agents, buffers, neutralizers and curing agents. 6. Calcium hydroxide also reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to form water-insoluble calcium carbonate. In sugar production, calcium hydroxide is first used to neutralize the acid in the syrup, and carbon dioxide is then introduced to react with the remaining calcium hydroxide and form a precipitate that is filtered out, thereby reducing the acidity of the sugar.
