LIME: THE INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL

In addition to the uses described above, lime is essential to many other industries. For example, the chemical industry uses lime to manufacture sodium alkalies, calcium carbide, calcium hypochlorite, citric acid, petrochemicals, phenolates, stearates, naphthenates, nitrates, caseinates, calcium phosphates, propylene glycol, glycerin, and many others. These chemicals, in turn, go into virtually every product made in America.

An important and growing use for lime is in the production of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), which is used in the production of paper, paint, ink, plastic, and rubber.

The paper industry uses lime as a causticizing agent and for bleaching and, increasingly, for producing PCC for use in the paper manufacturing process.

Other key uses of lime include refractories, sugar refining, agricultural liming, glass making, and leather tanning. 

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