Comprehending the lime production process

摘要

The production of lime is a complex process that requires ever-increasing process comprehension. The customer's own lime specifications and the quality of the quarried material mark the starting points for all relevant investigations. Ultimately, it takes an appropriately equipped production line to guarantee targeted lime qualities. The core component of any lime plant is its kiln, in which limestone is converted into lime. All operational investigations begin with a lime kiln assessment. The given qualities of the reserve resources are then considered to answer the question of how well the customer's existing technology can satisfy the specifications and, if so, at which cost. Any deviations found would signal a need for action to analyze the existing qualities of the reserves together with the lime production process. In order to implement structured investigations of problems affecting the lime production process with the intention of establishing the cause and working out a solution, it is important to possess an insightful, in-depth comprehension of the process. An essential part of truly comprehending the lime production process is to understand the mechanisms of heat transfer in the calcining process. For the purposes of structured investigation, two tools are helpful: static and dynamic heat and mass balances. In order to meet customer specifications over the long term, it is important to be familiar with the qualities of the as-yet unmined reserves. From time to time, it is advisable to draw up a status quo of the lime plant in order to delineate its service-life expectancy, the existing qualities, varieties and an operations plan.