Limewater

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This article is about Ca(OH)2(aq). For the juice of a lime, see lime juice. For lime flavored or lime infused water, see flavored water. For the limewash wall colorant, see whitewash. For Ca(OH)2, see calcium hydroxide.

Limewater is the common name for a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide. Calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2 is sparsely soluble in water (1.5 g/L at 25 °C.[1]) Pure limewater is clear and colorless, with a slight earthy smell and an alkaline bitter taste of calcium hydroxide. The term lime refers to the alkaline mineral, and is unrelated to the acidic fruit.

Limewater is prepared by stirring excess calcium hydroxide in pure water, and filtering off the excess insoluble Ca(OH)2. When excess calcium hydroxide is added to limewater, a suspension of calcium hydroxide particles remains, giving it a milky aspect, in which case it has the common name of milk of lime. Milk of lime is an alkaline solution with a pH of 12.3.

Chemistry

Carbon dioxide passes through limewater, giving a milky solution. This is due to the insoluble suspension of calcium carbonate formed:

Ca(OH)2(aq) + CO2(g) → CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)

If excess CO2 is added, the following reaction takes place:

CaCO3(s) + H2O(l) + CO2(g) → Ca(HCO3)2(aq)

Applications

The above chemical properties are commonly used for testing the presence of carbon dioxide in gaseous samples in school laboratories, and refining of sugar in a process called carbonatation.

Industry

Waste gases from industries containing sulfur dioxide can be cleaned by bubbling through limewater, a process called sulfation, in which the toxic sulfur dioxide is trapped as a precipitate:

Ca(OH)2(aq) + SO2(g) → CaSO3(s) + H2O(l)

It is also used in industry as a neutralizing agent in municipal waste water treatment.

Arts

In buon fresco painting, limewater is used as the colour solvent to apply on fresh plaster. Historically, it is known as the paint whitewash.

Other uses

Limewater is widely used by marine aquarists as a primary supplement of calcium and alkalinity for reef aquariums. Corals of order Scleractinia build their endoskeletons from aragonite (a polymorph of calcium carbonate). When used for this purpose, limewater is usually referred to as Kalkwasser. It is also used in tanning and making parchment. The lime is used as a dehairing agent based on its alkaline properties.[2]

References

  1. ↑ ´Solubility of Inorganic and Metalorganic Compounds - A Compilation of Solubility Data from the Periodical Literature´, A. Seidell, W. F. Linke, Van Nostrand (Publisher), 1953
  2. ↑ "The Nature and Making of Parchment" by Ronald Reed

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