It is a sedimentary rock having a composition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and aragonite. It mostly forms in warm, shallow, clear marine waters. It is developing from the accumulation of coral, fecal debris, and shell. Other limestone rocks are formed from chemical sedimentary when calcium carbonate from the ocean or lake water precipitates. It mostly forms within the Indonesian archipelago, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean islands, the Persian Gulf, and the Caribbean Sea.
1. Uses of Limestone
Limestone is essential in various sectors, such as construction, industries, in agriculture. However, limestone may not be entirely safe for use, as it may produce small particles when subjected to mechanical or natural forces, which may contain crystalline silica.
Limestone-related industries and products depend on it as a principle product. Some of the uses are discussed below;
2. Agriculture
Limes contain calcium carbonate, which is used in the farming sector. It’s crushed into smaller particles to form agricultural lime. The lime is used to free up soil minerals like phosphate, neutralize soil acidity and make them available for absorption into the plant.
3. Building and construction
Limestone containing clay components that are utilized for cement production. It also has Limestone aggregate useful in road and railroad construction. At times, it’s cut into slabs with specific dimensions, which is at times applied in window sills, sculptors, floor tiles, and stair treads. It is considered for building due to its long-lasting and standing up for exposure characters. It is also durable, challenging, and commonly accessible on surface exposure.
4. Industries
Powdered limestone is used in plastic industries, paint, paper, and rubber as fillers. It’s used for impurities removal during the steel and Iron ore production phase. Limestone contains Calcium oxide, which is used when extracting gold from quartz as a pH regulator.
5. Wet Scrubbers and Coal Smokestacks
Limestone is applied in a slurry to prevent air pollution by preventing sulfur dioxide from escaping through the plant’s smokestack. It traps Sulphur dioxide gas in the slurry and makes the pollutant a removable solid waste.
6. Healthy Thriving Ponds
Lime is added in ponds to increase nutrients availability for both plants and fish in the pond. It prevents fluctuations in water acidity by providing a shield. It’s mostly added to a pond’s bottom to sterilize it before adding fish.
7. Water Treatment
Carbonate hardness is caused by magnesium salts and calcium is treated by the lime-soda process, which entails magnesium by lime. It neutralizes acid water, thus combating red water hence preventing corrosion of main and pipes from acid water. It is also used to remove fluoride, organ tannins, iron, and manganese from water supplies.
8. Home Decor
Limestone forms flooring along as tiling in kitchens, mudrooms, and bathrooms. It is prevalent when used on the walls, which help accent colors pop out in a room’s decor while opening up space. Statues and sculptures made of limestone show a good impression on the house
9. Lawns
Pulverized limestone increases bacterial activity in the soil hence creating a more favorable structure. This results in porous soil, which increases the air’s ability to circulate through the soil, absorb, and hold water. The recommendable time to apply limestone for a healthy lawn is when the soil is being prepared for planting.
10. Toothpaste
Calcium carbonate is good for healthy, strong teeth. Most toothpaste detergents contain limestones such as foam agents, abrasives, and binders. The limestone content serves as a thickening, filler, and abrasive agent. It’s also used to give the whitening color.
11. Art Making
It is a non-clastic sedimentary rock; it varies in hardness. The softer one is easy to cut, also varies in color from yellow to white, brown to grey. Hence creating satisfaction for art-making material. It is used in a variety of carvings and statues. Outdoor limestone statues suffer most due to its susceptibility to acid rain, but it’s still in use due to its suitability for carving.
12. Kitty Litter
Cat’s urine contains ammonia, whereby its exposure to ammonia is harmful. It can cause respiratory diseases and irritation. Limestone helps counteract the effects of ammonia build-up hence making the kitty litter drier.
13. Temperature control
It acts as an effective insulator, helps keep the home’s interior temperature constant. This lowers the cost of cooling and heating the house and alleviates the headache of constant temperature change in your thermostat.
13. Increase the Farm’s Return on Investment
Lime is dissolved and releases a base that neutralizes soil acidity when added to the soil. The lime lowers the soil acidity by rendering it more pH neutral. This enhances the crop yield and quality, which increases the farm’s return on investment.
14. High starch diets
The inclusion of ground limestone and animals’ diet offers a high starch diet and increases pH in all segments of the gastrointestinal tract. The increased dietary supplementation with limestone leads to improved starch digestion.
15. Mine Safety Dust
Exposed coal surfaces in an underground mine are sprayed with a white powder known as pulverized limestone. It also improves illumination by reducing the amount of coal dust where the activity stirs it up and is released into the air. It also improves the air for breathing and explosion hazard of the coal suspended flammable particles.
16. Roofing Granule
Cushing limestone to fine particle sizes is used as a heat and weather resistant covering on asphalt-impregnated roofing and shingles. Also, it is used as a built-up rooftop coat. It is also perfect for roofing as it does not wear out quickly. They can be recycled without causing environmental loss of quality.
17. Oil Reservoir
Oil is found within spaces in deeply sedimentary rocks. The rocks are mostly porous, whereby the oil is trapped in the porosity. The porous limestone is filled with oil hence reserving it. Coral reefs, caves, cliffs, and coral atoll that limestone often forms are a tourist aspect.
18. Geological Information
Limestone contains many fossils. Fossils can be used to date the rock to determine the geological time in which the limestone was formed. The fossil may still explain the environment in which the limestone formed.
