Technological characteristics of the calcined limestone from Agios Panteleimonas, Macedonia, Greece

The gray-green limestone from Agios Panteleimonas is studied in this paper after submitting it in special technological analyses in order to determine the possibility for quicklime production. Cubic test specimens with mean 50 mm edge length were calcined at 850, 950 and 1,050°C, with 150 min preheating time and 120 min retention time at each calcination temperature. At the dissociation temperature of pure calcite (898°C) only one half of the initial limestone has been calcined. The dissociation of the specimens started at 740°C and almost completed at 1,050°C. Probably, the large edge length of the cubic specimens and the low retention time are responsible for the incomplete calcination at 1,050°C. The dry apparent weight of the calcined lime-stone (1.577 g/cm^sup 3^), its low shrinkage (0.1-0.3%), the 2% impurities content and the 24% value of the attrition and abrasion resistance, characterize this quicklime and classify it to the high quality products.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]