How much limestone is needed to produce 1 ton of lime
The amount of limestone required to produce 1 ton of lime is not fixed, but typically around 1.7 tons.
From a theoretical perspective, according to the chemical reaction equation, calcium carbonate (CaCO) decomposes to produce calcium oxide (CaO, the main component of lime) and carbon dioxide (CO ₂). The molecular weight of calcium is 40, and the molecular weight of oxygen is 16. Theoretically, one ton of calcium carbonate can generate about 560 kilograms of calcium oxide. However, in actual production, many factors can affect this ratio.
The limestone extracted from limestone mines has a calcium carbonate content of 92%, which is considered superior, and a calcium oxide content of over 52%. In the production process of lime kiln, in addition to generating gases such as carbon dioxide, the remaining part is the finished lime. Considering the loss on ignition of limestone, the loss on ignition of one ton of limestone is approximately between 41 and 44. Taking these factors into account, producing one ton of limestone requires approximately 1.61 to 1.69 tons of limestone.
In actual production operations, it is also necessary to consider the reaction of impurities in limestone and a certain proportion of over burning rate of quicklime. For more reliable cost accounting and planning, the production of 1 ton of lime from 1.7 tons of limestone is usually used as a reference standard, and the estimated lime benefits will be more reliable. This data provides important basis for lime production enterprises to reasonably arrange production plans and control costs.
