LIME

In 2023, all commercially produced lime (CaO, Ca(OH)2) in the United States was manufactured from limestone or dolomite, but lime also can be produced from a variety of similar carbonate materials, such as aragonite, chalk, coral, marble and seashells, if they are of high chemical purity. The term lime in this article refers to high-calcium and dolomitic quicklime, their hydroxide (hydrated) forms and dead-burned dolomite. In the United States, most lime (about 80 percent) is produced as quicklime. Hydrated lime (also called slaked lime) is a dry calcium hydroxide powder made from reacting quicklime with a controlled amount of water in a hydrator. Slaked lime is widely used in aqueous systems as a low-cost alkali to neutralize or balance acidity. Dead-burned dolomite is the primary form of lime used in refractories. Production and consumption In 2023, an estimated 17 Mt of quicklime and hydrate was produced (excluding independent commercial hydrators), unchanged from 2022. At yearend, 28 companies were producing lime, including 18 companies with commercial sales and 10 companies that produced lime strictly for internal use (for example, sugar companies). These companies had 73 primary lime plants (plants operating quicklime kilns) in 28 states and Puerto Rico. Five of these 28 companies operated only hydrating plants in nine states. In 2023, the five leading U.S. lime companies produced quicklime or hydrate in 22 states and accounted for about 80 percent of total U.S. lime production. Principal producing states were Alabama, Missouri, Ohio and Texas. The United States was the world’s second-ranked lime producer in the world after China. Apparent consumption was estimated to be 17 Mt, unchanged from 2022. Major markets for lime were, in descending order of consumption, steelmaking, chemical and industrial applications (such as the manufacture of fertilizer, glass, paper and pulp, and precipitated calcium carbonate and in sugar refining), flue-gas treatment, construction, water treatment and nonferrous-metal mining. Foreign trade According to the U.S. Census Bureau, imports of lime decreased by 3 percent to 343 kt in 2023 from 354 kt in 2022. Canada (73 percent) and Mexico (22 percent) were the leading sources of lime imports to the United States. U.S. lime exports increased by 14 percent to 344 kt in 2023 from 303 kt in 2022. Lime exports were primarily shipped to Canada (97 percent). Prices The U.S. Geological Survey calculates unit values of lime products from the quantity and value data reported for lime sold or used by the lime producers on a free-on-board plant basis, including the cost of containers. These calculations provide average values that eliminate variables such as potentially significant differences between list prices and individual supply contracts. Lime prices are not published in trade publications. To avoid disclosing company proprietary data, value data for dead-burned dolomite have not been reported separately but are included within the weighted average of all types of lime. The total weighted average price of all quicklime sold or used was $155/t and of hydrate sold or used was $185/t in 2023, slightly higher and essentially unchanged from 2022, respectively. Outlook Lime sales in markets such as chemical and industrial, construction and steel are expected to follow the trend in gross domestic product in the overall economy. The outlook for flue-gas systems (lime’s third-ranked market) serving coal-fired power plants, incinerators and other industries is easier to predict. With the recent boom in natural-gas exploration, large increases in natural-gas reserves and low naturalgas prices, U.S. electric utilities have increasingly shifted their fuel use from coal to natural gas either by conversion of the coal-fired plants or by shutting down coal-fired plants. Natural gas has the advantage of producing less emissions than coal and, as a result, does not usually require sulfur dioxide (SO2) scrubbing, which could lead to decreased use of lime in flue-gas scrubbing systems. In 2023, 17 percent of domestic utility-scale electricity generation was from coal, a 15 percent decrease from 2022, as a result of increased electricity generation from renewable sources. References U.S. Geological Survey, 2024, Mineral commodity summaries 2024—Lime: U.S. Geological Survey, p. 108–109, https://doi.org/10.3133/mcs2024. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2024, Shortterm energy outlook: U.S. Department of Energy, February 6. (Accessed March 5, 2024 at https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/outlook.php#issues).

LIME

Authored by:
L.E. Apodaca

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From sessions to strategy: Revealing long-term and emerging innovation trends in data analytics, intelligent systems and automation

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

KYANITE, ANDALUSITE AND SILLIMANITE

LITHIUM

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