Slacking of Lime and its Reasons

Introduction:
Slacking of lime refers to the process in which quicklime absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and gets converted into calcium hydroxide. It is an important process as it makes the lime more workable and easier to handle.

Reasons:
The slacking of lime is affected by various factors. Some of these are:

- Keeping it exposed to air: Quicklime is highly reactive and quickly reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to form calcium carbonate, which is a hard and insoluble compound. This reaction reduces the effectiveness of the lime and makes it difficult to work with.

- Immersing the lime in water: Immersing the lime in water is the best way to slack it. When quicklime is mixed with water, it undergoes a chemical reaction where calcium oxide reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide. This reaction generates heat and releases steam, which causes the lime to expand and crumble. The resulting calcium hydroxide is a fine powder that is easier to work with.

- Crushing the lime lumps: Crushing the lime lumps helps to increase the surface area of the lime and exposes more of it to water. This helps to speed up the chemical reaction between calcium oxide and water and makes the slacking process more efficient.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the slacking of lime is an important process that makes the lime easier to handle and work with. It is affected by various factors such as exposure to air, immersion in water, and crushing of lumps. Immersing the lime in water is the best way to slack it and should be done carefully to ensure that the resulting calcium hydroxide is of good quality.