Lime companies refer to a “Typical Chemical Analysis”. What does this mean and why is it not referred to as a specific chemical analysis like the reagent grade chemicals I buy?
All industrial lime is produced from quarried limestone (or in some cases oyster shells), which has naturally occurring impurities in it. Many companies wash the stone before in goes into the kiln, however, any impurities in the limestone itself will appear in the quicklime. Much of the control of the quality of the quicklime can be affected by how well the material is quarried. The vein of limestone being quarried is constantly monitored to insure that only the highest purity is selected for the kiln. The quicklime produced is chemically analyzed, based upon standard statistical sampling procedures, but the chemical analysis will vary to a degree according to the way nature left the limestone deposit. This is why most companies refer to a “typical chemical analysis.” There are minimum and maximum chemical limits to the various components of the lime, but within these limitations the chemical analysis will always vary to some degree.
