Calcium oxide

Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used
chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline, crystalline solid at room temperature.
The broadly used term "lime" connotes calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which
carbonates, oxides and hydroxides of calcium, silicon, magnesium, aluminium, and iron
predominate. By contrast, quicklime specifically applies to the single chemical
compound calcium oxide. Calcium oxide that survives processing without reacting in
building products such as cement is called free lime.[5]

Quicklime is relatively inexpensive.

Calcium oxide
Both it and a chemical derivative
(calcium hydroxide, of which quicklime
is the base anhydride) are important
commodity chemicals.

Preparation

Calcium oxide is usually made by the

thermal decomposition of materials,
such as limestone or seashells, that
contain calcium carbonate (CaCO3;
mineral calcite) in a lime kiln. This is
accomplished by heating the material
to above 825 °C (1,517 °F),[6] a process
called calcination or lime-burning, to
liberate a molecule of carbon dioxide Names
(CO2), leaving quicklime.
IUPAC name
CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g) Calcium oxide

The quicklime is not stable and, when Other names

cooled, will spontaneously react with Quicklime, burnt lime, unslaked lime,
CO2 from the air until, after enough pebble lime, calcia

time, it will be completely converted

Identifiers
back to calcium carbonate unless
slaked with water to set as lime plaster CAS Number 1305-78-8

or lime mortar. 3D model (JSmol) Interactive image

Annual worldwide production of ChEBI CHEBI_31344

quicklime is around 283 million tonnes.
ChEMBL ChEMBL2104397
China is by far the world's largest
producer, with a total of around 170 ChemSpider 14095
million tonnes per year. The United
ECHA InfoCard 100.013.763
States is the next largest, with around
20 million tonnes per year.[7] EC Number 215-138-9

Approximately 1.8 t of limestone is E number E529 (acidity

regulators, ...)
required per 1.0 t of quicklime.
Quicklime has a high affinity for water Gmelin Reference 485425
and is a more efficient desiccant than
KEGG C13140
silica gel. The reaction of quicklime
with water is associated with an PubChem CID 14778
increase in volume by a factor of at
RTECS number EW3100000
least 2.5.[8]
UNII C7X2M0VVNH

Uses UN number 1910

CompTox Dashboard DTXSID5029631

(EPA)

InChI
InChI=1S/Ca.O
Key: ODINCKMPIJJUCX-UHFFFAOYSA-N
InChI=1/Ca.O/rCaO/c1-2
Key: ODINCKMPIJJUCX-BFMVISLHAU

SMILES
O=[Ca]

Properties
 Properties

Chemical formula CaO

Molar mass 56.0774 g/mol

Appearance White to pale

yellow/brown powder

Odor Odorless

Density 3.34 g/cm3[1]

Melting point 2,613 °C (4,735 °F;

2,886 K)[1]

Boiling point 2,850 °C (5,160 °F;

3,120 K) (100 hPa)[2]

Solubility in water Reacts to form

calcium hydroxide

Solubility in Insoluble (also in

Methanol diethyl ether,
octanol)

Acidity (pKa) 12.8

Magnetic −15.0×10−6 cm3/mol

susceptibility (χ)

Structure

Crystal structure Cubic, cF8

Thermochemistry

Std molar 40 J·mol−1·K−1[3]

entropy (So298)

Std enthalpy of −635 kJ·mol−1[3]

formation (ΔfH⦵298)

Pharmacology
 Pharmacology

ATCvet code QP53AX18 (WHO )

Hazards

Safety data sheet Hazard.com

GHS pictograms

GHS Signal word Danger

GHS hazard H302, H314, H315,

statements
H318, H335

GHS precautionary P260, P261, P264,

statements
P270, P271, P280,
P301+312,
P301+330+331,
P302+352,
P303+361+353,
P304+340,
P305+351+338,
P310, P312, P321,
P330, P332+313,
P362, P363,
P403+233, P405,
P501

NFPA 704
(fire diamond) 0
3 2
W

Flash point Non-flammable [4]

NIOSH (US health exposure limits):

PEL (Permissible) TWA 5 mg/m3[4]

REL TWA 2 mg/m3[4]

(Recommended)