Sulfuric Acid: the King of Chemicals

Sulfuric acid earns the title of “king of chemicals” rightly: it’s the most commonly used chemical in the world. Your industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem proudly stocks the universal chemical, sulfuric acid, for your industry. The 180 million tons of sulfuric acid produced worldwide leads to widespread applications for well-established industrial businesses as well as niche markets. No matter your industry, your business will appreciate having Bell Chem’s sulfuric acid on hand. 

Automotive Industry

Lead acid batteries need sulfuric acid to act as an electrolyte to stimulate electron flow between the battery’s positive and negative diodes. The ubiquity of sulfuric acid in auto batteries is so complete it is commonly referred to as battery acid. This type of acid also helps with another part that keeps cars running, the oil. Crude oil is refined utilizing sulfuric acid as a catalyst.

Industrial and Medical Uses

The oxidizing power of concentrated sulfuric acid catalyzes chemical oxidation/reduction reactions. At above average temperatures, sulfuric acid reacts strongly with metals and sugar, dissolving metal and releasing almost all water in sugar, leaving the hydrocarbon molecules with only carbon, which blackens and elongates into a “carbon snake.” Water and sulfuric acid form a violent combination, exuding intense heat. Sulfuric acid is also used in the manufacturing process of chemotherapeutic medicines and to lower pH levels in water treatment facilities. 

Bleaching Properties 

Sulfuric acid dissociates chloride dioxide, delignifying hardwood and softwood alike, which assists in paper bleaching. This acid also helps give white sugar its hue. Processing brown sugar from white sugar seems rather foreign since white sugar is simply brown sugar without molasses. Sugar bleaching requires chemical reactions to reduce the sugar to a white, fine texture before molasses is re-introduced. One of the chemicals within this process is sulfuric acid. 

With all these uses that span across industries, it’s no wonder sulfuric acid is known as the “king of chemicals.” Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including sulfuric acid. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Benefits of Crystalline Dextrose

Crystalline dextrose is a sugar used in thousands of products every day, but how much do you actually know about it? First, a definition: “crystalline” is a manufacturing term denoting the method of extracting sugar from, in dextrose’s case, corn, and refining it into a crystalized form from a concentrated solution. In other words, crystalline dextrose is concentrated crystals of corn sugar. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem proudly carries Crystalline Dextrose for your manufacturing needs, and wishes to explain the benefits of this marvelous ingredient.

Changing Texture

Chewing gum is much more enjoyable when crystalline dextrose is an ingredient because it improves pliability as it sweetens. In jams and jellies, crystalline dextrose bulks the products for better spreadability. Many pre-mixed foods add crystalline dextrose to improve flowability and deter clumping, leading to a finer texture.

Fermentable Sugar

Crystalline dextrose provides the energy necessary to stimulate the fermentation process by adding as a feedstock for yeast. For this reason, it is regularly an ingredient in ciders and fruit wines. Because the amount of sugar in fruit drinks relies on the amount of sunlight, rain, and nutrients for that field, each field will have a slightly different sugar content. Crystalline dextrose stabilizes the sugar content from one batch of wine or cider to the next.

Sweetening Properties

At 4 Kcal per gram, crystalline dextrose has the same caloric content as sucrose but is chemically identical to glucose (the body’s natural sugar). Added to pastries, dairy products, dessert powders, breakfast cereals and processed meats, crystalline dextrose delivers a sweet, crunchy sheen. In beverages, cereal bars, and packaged snacks it enhances flavor by controlling sweetness. 

When manufactured products contain crystalline dextrose, how does it benefit the body? Because dextrose is chemically equal to the body’s natural sugar, it is easily absorbed and quickly stabilizes blood sugar levels. Dextrose is an energy source for cellular metabolism where it delivers nutrients to muscles to enhance everyday life or strenuous workouts. 

Bell Chem is your food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including CSANTM sanitation products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

The Many Faces of Vinegar

Vinegar is readily recognized as a condiment base and food preservative for canning. However, there’s more than one type of vinegar. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem shares with you a variety of different vinegars we stock and how they will benefit your company.  

Vinegar for Flavor and Preservation

As a condiment, vinegar is utilized in cooking because of its strong, sharp flavor. Surprisingly, it depends where you are in the world as to what variety of vinegar you are served in or alongside your food. In the United States and England, cider vinegar is the choice of chefs and culinary experts. Across the channel from England, Ireland’s vinegar of taste is malt vinegar while wine-producing countries such as Spain, Italy, and France choose wine vinegar. 

Many condiments contain vinegar as a key component, including ketchups and other tomato-based products, salad dressings and sauces, mustard, aspics and other gelatins, and vinaigrettes. Because vinegar has preservative properties and deters bacterial and other microbial growth, meats are often fermented in vinegar for “raw” meat dishes.

Distilled Vinegar

Distilled vinegar, such as Bell Chem’s white distilled vinegar, is the primary choice for food preservation, such as pickling. Cider vinegars, such as the apple cider vinegar in Bell Chem’s inventory, share the limelight in industrial use with distilled vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has found niche markets in pharmaceuticals and personal care, being sold as gummies and in capsule form. These two types of vinegar form the brunt of food preservation and condiment ingredients. While distilled vinegar has the market cornered, other varieties, such as malt, wine, and cider vinegars add different flavors and nuances to the products in which they are added.

Balsamic Vinegar

Commercial balsamic vinegars combine grape “must” (the juice of pressed grapes) and wine vinegar in an array of flavors and consistencies. Commercial kitchens tend to enhance the flavor of their prepared dishes with balsamic vinegar rather than cook with it.

Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar is the fermentation of rice rather than grapes and has a milder flavor that allows the natural flavors of foods to be enjoyed. Much like distilled vinegar in the west, rice vinegar is used as a preservative in the east, such as for chicken and processed meat. Many beers and wines contain rice vinegar.

With a wide range of types and uses, Bell Chem’s selection of vinegars can certainly help your business. Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including several varieties of vinegar. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Medical Uses of Zinc Oxide

Zinc oxide is recognizable to many as the white sunscreen smeared on the noses of lifeguards, but this remarkable chemical continues to fascinate as scientists develop new methods of utilizing its properties. Bell Chem, your industrial ingredient supplier, wants you to know the latest on zinc oxide and its role in the medical world. 

Nanoparticles

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have a short history – only around 20 years – but the sheer amount of uses discovered within that time is astonishing. Nanoparticles are microscopically small bits of zinc oxide. These tiny particles are easy for the body to utilize. When used in this form, zinc oxide is able to treat diseases like diabetes and cancer, as well as deter bacteria while maintaining its biocompatible status. 

Common Uses

Some of the most common uses for zinc oxide are for its anti-inflammatory and ultraviolet reflection benefits. Inflammation is a response to a pathogen, but inflammation is often painful and many people experience inflammatory responses outside the norm. Zinc oxide is able to bring down the level of inflammation, which reduces pain and increases blood flow. 

Many sunscreens on the market are chemical barriers, which may lead to UV rays being internalized through the skin and causing cellular damage. Zinc oxide, on the other hand, is a physical barrier that reflects UV light and prevents it from reaching the skin. 

Hospital Settings

Zinc oxide has a 3,000-year history of wound treatment and healing of soft tissue injuries. Applied directly to wounds and burns, zinc oxide attracts new epidermal cells to critical areas, establishes blood flow to those affected areas, which expedites the healing process and reduces complications related to wounds. One surprising characteristic of zinc oxide nanoparticles is their luminescence, which helps with bioimaging. When recorded on imaging film, zinc oxide glows where the body has stockpiled it.

Disease Treatment

The binding property of zinc oxide aids in transporting life-saving drugs throughout the body in a less-toxic manner than other methods at a fraction of the cost of other treatments. Zinc oxide targets uncontrolled cancer cells without the dangerous side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Zinc oxide is biodegradable as well as biocompatible. Add the drug delivery factor, and zinc oxide can carry cancer drugs to specific sites within the body as it takes on the cancer cells. Zinc oxide also helps treat diabetes when it binds insulin to keep it structurally stable, aiding in the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Zinc oxide also has a part in insulin synthesis, secretion, and storage.   

The body has a delicate balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) performing vital functions, such as cellular signaling and homeostasis. Excess ROS is a different story, however, since great numbers of ROS damage DNA. Scientists have determined zinc oxide will seek out cells with excess ROS and cause these cells to undergo apoptosis (cell death). This same function affects bacteria similarly. With all of these amazing benefits and more still to be discovered, Zinc oxide has been a huge help to the ever-evolving medical field.

Bell Chem is the industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, zinc oxide. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Chemicals for pH Balancing and Cleaning Pools

Summer is right around the corner, which means it is time to step up pool maintenance to ensure a safe, clean environment for the ultimate summer fun. You want to be the company people call when they need pool cleaning services, so you’ll want to make sure you’re using all the right chemicals. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem’s extended range of chemicals and advice will elevate your pool company above the rest.

Sanitizers

Every pool needs to be sanitized to keep swimmers safe. Most community pools and major pool companies rely on chlorine as their main sanitizing agent. Here are a few examples of commonly used chemicals for pool maintenance:

• Chlorine is inexpensive and works quickly to oxidize bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms. A similar product is calcium carbonate, which is more commonly known as unstabilized chlorine or shock. 

• Shock works quite quickly (hence the name) but breaks down rapidly in sunlight. It is recommended to add shock at night for beautiful morning results. The up-and-coming challenger to chlorine is bromine. 

• Bromine remains active longer than chlorine, but is generally more expensive at the outset. Bromine is also kinder to skin and hair, which pool patrons truly enjoy. Bromine also works well under varied temperature differences, making them ideal for spas and heated pools.

Alkalinity Controllers and pH Balancers

A crystal clear pool with the proper amount of sanitizer won’t stay clear without ensuring the pH levels are balanced. To that end, baking soda and soda ash are effective at balancing acidic pH levels, while muriatic acid corrects alkaline water. An alkalinity increaser should be the first line of defense for adjusting the pH; baking soda can actually increase pool alkalinity!

Flocculants and Sequestrants

Even the best efforts cannot stop nature from dropping unwanted debris into a pool. From lizards to leaves, plants and animals drag bacteria and other unwanted waste into pools. An abundance of debris, excess chemicals, metals, floating algae lifted from the bottom, or other small amounts of matter lead to cloudy water. In some instances, the water may be healthy, just unsightly. 

To remove minute floating matter, use flocculants and sequestrants. Flocculants chemically bind small pieces of material, which causes them to sink to the bottom of the pool because of their added bulk. Sequestrants focus on binding metals, such as excess calcium or metal present in hard water. Both processes take at least a day to bind and sink. Afterward, clean-up consists of a thorough vacuuming. If your filter is up to the challenge, filter the debris through. It may be wiser to vacuum the flocculant directly to an external drain.

Water Clarifiers

Much like flocculants and sequestrants, water clarifiers address cloudy water. Clarifiers are short-term fixes for immediate gratification, only lasting a day or so under ideal conditions. To completely eradicate the undesirable floating matter, use a flocculant or sequestrant.

Bell Chem is your industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including CSANTM sanitation products and chemicals to treat pools. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Acetic Acid in Food Production

Acetic acid has uses across industries, but its most common affiliation is with food preservation. According to the New York Food Museum, archaeologists uncovered pickled foods in Mesopotamia from 4400 years ago! Modern pickling with acetic acid has not changed drastically in that amount of time, although several other uses for acetic acid in the food industry have been discovered. Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, has a number of uses for acetic acid in food production and manufacture.

Food preservation with acetic acid helps preserve canned goods, but it also does so much more. Many products contain this important ingredient not only for its flavor, but because of its ability to stop the growth of bacteria. Acetic acid is often added to salad dressings, sauces, cheeses, and pickled products. Combined with baking soda, acetic acid acts as a leavening agent in breads and other baked goods. Baking soda on its own will not stimulate the formation of aerated bubbles. When combined with acetic acid, bread rises and cakes take on a spongier texture.

Here are some specific examples of the use of acetic acid in food production:

• Salt and vinegar chips are, more precisely, salt and acetic acid chips. Vinegar is 4% acetic acid at a minimum, and the pungent odor and distinctly sour flavor of salt and vinegar chips prove the popularity of acetic acid as a flavor enhancer.

• Sushi and other “raw” meats are safer to consume if marinated in diluted acetic acid since it controls Salmonella contamination. The acid denatures proteins, breaking them apart and restructuring the proteins into new formations that coagulate the proteins without using heat to cook the meat. This same coagulation occurs with pickled eggs.

• Diluted acetic acid transforms the colors of many fruits and vegetables. Dark green vegetables become olive in appearance, red fruits and vegetables become more vibrant, and acetic acid preserves the white flesh of apples and potatoes when they are freshly cut.

Learn more about your food additives by reaching out to Bell Chem. Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including acetic acid. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Rice Flour Uses in Skin Care Products

Rice flour has been used in Eastern countries as a skin and hair beauty aid for almost 5,000 years. Records dating to 2800 B.C. indicate rice was used medicinally, psychologically, and for beauty – truly, a plant that can do anything! Our modern culture is finally seeing rice flour’s many attributes, and food ingredient supplier Bell Chem would like to share news, studies, and information pertaining to the use of rice flour in cosmetics. 

Benefits of Whole-Grain Rice

Whole-grain (100%) rice is preferred over whole rice or white flour because it contains all portions of the rice grain. Think about a single grain of rice: what is it? It’s a seed packaged inside a nutrient-filled covering that protects and feeds it until it is planted and begins to mature. Whole-grain rice contains the rice bran, germ and endosperm – the entire growth package. Whole flours contain the endosperm, a portion of the bran, and most of the germ – only a portion of the healthiest portions of rice. White flour is generally only the endosperm – the seed itself. Because bran contains the highest amount of nutrients, while the endosperm in the white rice flour is simply a carbohydrate, it is important to choose carefully when purchasing rice flour.

With this in mind, let’s peek inside a single rice grain and see how the different components can benefit skin and hair health.

Parts of Whole-Grain Rice

Bran and germ are the rice grain’s abundant sources of nutrition. They protect its contents with an ensemble of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory chemicals to help nurture growth. These chemicals function similarly in the human body. The rigidity of the bran is slightly apparent even when ground; it acts as a natural, mild exfoliant. Here are the different components and how each one helps with skincare:

• Allantoin: The soothing effect of allantoin prevents inflammation, deters sun damage, and recent studies report that it may stimulate wound healing.

• Ferulic acid: A bioactive that may prevent sunburn by blocking ultraviolet radiation, ferulic acid blends antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties into an effective cosmetic treatment. Ferulic acid is often used in conjunction with vitamins C and E (other components effective in skin care) since it lengthens their shelf life.

• Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA or vitamin B10): Stimulates cellular repair and prevents damage from ultraviolet rays.

• Phytic acid: Like ferulic acid, phytic acid is located within the rice kernel’s bran. Phytic acid is an alpha hydroxy antioxidant found to be more gentle than glycolic or salicylic acid for reducing hyperpigmentation and treating acne. The acidity helps the skin shed its outermost dead skin cells, leaving a glowing, more youthful appearance.

• Proteins: The proteins supporting the endosperm have proven to be effective in repairing damaged hair and acting as overall conditioners.

• Endosperm: The starchy endosperm clears skin and cleans hair by absorbing oil on and slightly below the skin’s surface. Rice starch quickly binds to water molecules to stabilize fats. 

Rice flour has major benefits when it comes to caring for hair and skin. To see why, it helps to break a single grain of rice down into its many components. For thousands of years, rice has been used as more than just food, and it certainly will be for generations to come. 

Bell Chem is your food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including rice flour. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Copper Sulfate in Organic Agriculture

Much as the name predicts, copper sulfate (CuSO4)2 is an inorganic compound of copper and sulfate. This useful chemical stocked by industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem is renowned for its use in pesticides, bactericides, and fungicides. 

What is Copper Sulfate?

Copper sulfate has a litany of common names, such as basic copper sulfate (BSC), BSC copper fungicide, CP basic sulfate, and tribasic copper sulfate. In its stone (pentahydrate) form, it carries the monikers of blue vitriol or blue stone because of its vibrant color. Chemically it is copper (II) sulfate or copper (II) tetraoxosulphate, depending on its chemical form. 

Benefits of Copper Sulfate in Agriculture

Copper sulfate has long been recognized as an agricultural aid to deter the growth of bacteria and fungus, primarily on fruits and vegetables. Copper sulfate binds to and denatures the proteins of algae and fungi to the point of cell death. Tropical and subtropical climates often experience snail and slug damage to crops. The application of copper sulfate as snail bait prevents these animals from damaging crops. 

Varying dosages of copper sulfate also control unwanted plant growth, and destroy roots of invasive plants. A Bordeaux mixture combines lime and water (calcium hydroxide) and copper sulfate. When applied to seeds before planting, this mixture prevents fungal infestation. Added to the soil, Bordeaux enriches soil and stimulates plant growth. 

Uses in Organic Agriculture

Knowing this, how does copper sulfate tie into organic agriculture? According to Brian Baker of the Organic Materials Research Institute, most chemicals found naturally occurring (not synthetically manufactured) are acceptable for organic farming and agriculture. In fact, used separately, sulfur and copper are the two top disease-control chemicals for organic crops. To be deemed organic, no accumulation of copper must exist in the soil; it must be taken up by the plants it protects.

Diving deeper, organic agriculture is on the rise since its “rebirth” in England approximately 100 years ago after the industrial revolution commercialized pesticides and herbicides. This created  powerful products that, unbeknownst to most farmers at the time, negatively impacted plants, soil, and the health of those consuming the products. 

Organic farming focuses on soil management, weed control, and pest eradication. This method is more than farming without the use of synthetic chemicals. Organic farmers use techniques recognized centuries ago as helpful to crop growth: crop rotation, soil amending, planting cover crops, mixing farms with livestock for natural fertilization and pest control, and focusing research on the biological health of farmland. 

Bell Chem’s inventory includes an abundance of natural and organic additives and chemicals for agriculture and beyond.  

Bell Chem is an industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including copper sulfate. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

How Inulin Makes Food Better

Inulin is a soluble fiber found in thousands of plants. Its main source is the chicory plant, where the large, carrot-like taproot stores inulin at a whopping 48% of its volume. This accounts for its marketing as “chicory root fiber” or “chicory root extract.” This important additive is more than a New Orleans staple. Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, inventories dried inulin for its customers to add to foods and beverages due to its glowing benefits. 

 Inulin is available in two forms: long chain and short chain. The addition of long-chain inulin in products increases viscosity to low-fat or zero fat foods, such as yogurt or sauces. Short-chain inulin, on the other hand, is simply the longer chain carbohydrate broken into a simple sugar. Therefore, short-chain inulin adds a sweet flavor to foods and beverages without adding excess sugar. 

 As we age, it becomes more and more important to be aware of our diets. Healthy eating includes fiber, but not all fibers are created equal. Inulin’s natural solubility aids the digestive system due to its reaction with digestive juices. As it is broken down, inulin becomes a feedstock (a prebiotic) for Bifidobacterium, a helpful probiotic bacteria, which aids in overall digestion. 

Inulin’s remarkable benefits also include the following:

• Slowing digestion: Through several research studies, it has been proven that inulin slows digestion. In today’s modern world where food is almost always within arm’s reach, the tendency to overeat predominates. Slower digestion helps people feel fuller longer, and that leads to weight loss. 

• Glucose regulation for diabetics: Diabetics find high-performance (HP) inulin stabilizes carbohydrate digestion to regulate the release of sugar into the bloodstream, decreases fat in the liver for individuals diagnosed with prediabetes, reduces fasting blood sugar by an average of 8.5%, and decreases hemoglobin A1c an average of 10.4%. These statistics have led many physicians to believe inulin can help prevent or possibly reverse type II diabetes in some patients.

• Removal of bile acids: Any foods with excess soluble fiber – including inulin – remove cholesterol-containing bile acids from the digestive system.

• Sugar replacement: With its slightly sweet flavor, inulin adds a touch of sweetness without unwanted calories and carbohydrates. Inulin is often added to cereals and cereal bars to fortify them with fiber while lowering sugar and fat content. 

• Pharmaceutical aid: Pharmaceutical products with metallic aftertastes often add inulin to mask that offensive flavor.

• Fat replacement: Our bodies are predisposed to craving fat. Thousands of years ago, fat was the ultimate form of energy storage. Today, the overabundance of food leads to obesity. Inulin replaces fat in many foods, fooling our brains into believing we have digested fat when it was instead a flavorful fiber.

• Bone remineralization: One of the body’s major losses with age is bone strength. Studies suggest that inulin stimulates remineralization through calcium absorption in the bones. 

• Stabilizer/bulk additive: Inulin is fiber. Adding inulin to any bakery or dairy product, cosmetic, or beverage will increase bulk and add body. 

• Baby formula supplement: The World Health Organization claims a mother’s milk is ideally suited for her child’s growing body, with her antibodies and prebiotics keeping her baby healthy. Inulin added to formula simulates a mother’s milk by enhancing prebiotics in the baby’s digestive system.  

• Animal feed additive: Humans are not the only animals benefiting from inulin. Added to animal feed and pet food, inulin increases the amount of good bacteria in your pet’s digestive system and those of farm animals.
  

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including inulin. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Industrial Uses of Hydrated Lime

Industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem’s hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) is used across industries in myriad functions. Many customers wonder about the difference between quicklime and hydrated lime: hydrated lime and quicklime differ in reactivity, with quicklime (calcium oxide) being more reactive. Hydrated lime is simply quicklime with water added to convert oxides to hydroxides before the product is baked and pulverized (a process known as “slaking”). It is considered calcium hydroxide, or hydrated lime, at that time, although it is also known as slack lime, builders’ lime, or pickling lime. 

Hydrated lime is available in several strengths. The specific hydrated lime depends on the catalysts utilized and the type of quicklime. High calcium hydrated lime contains 72%-74% calcium oxide; dolomitic hydrated lime contains 46%-48% calcium oxide and 33%-34% magnesium oxide; and dolomitic hydrated lime (pressurized) combines 40%-42% calcium oxide with 29%-30% magnesium oxide. The remaining percentages are all water.

 Uses of hydrated lime are many and varied, including:

• Steel manufacturing: The largest scale use of lime is in the steel industry, where hydrated lime neutralizes impurities in plants where coke is a by-product. Steel plates are often sheathed in hydrated lime since it acts as an effective short-term barrier to oxygen corrosion.

• Chemical manufacturing: A variety of chemicals are manufactured with hydrated lime as a basic component. Included are bromide, caustic soda, fluoride, magnesia, lactate, nitrate, oleate, and stearate. Many organic and inorganic calcium salts, such as calcium carbide, calcium hypochlorite, calcium magnesium acetate, and calcium phosphate, begin production with hydrated lime. Hydrated lime also plays a role in citric acid purification.

• Flue gas treatment: Hydrated lime catalyzes particles emanated after combustion in cement plants, coal fire plants, glass industries, and other incendiary plants. Acidic pollutants normally released into the environment, such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, selenium, and fine particulate matter are captured by hydrated lime’s anions, eventually rendering them into calcium sulfate.

• Sugar production: Both cane and beet sugar rely on hydrated lime to react with impurities and elevate pH. Hydrated lime also removes impurities in the manufacture of maple syrup, sorghum, or other viscous forms of sugar. Carbonation before the final product is packaged removes excess lime.

• Acid reduction: As milk is separated into cream and skimmed milk, lime water is added to the cream portion prior to producing butter to reduce the acid content. Lime added to the remaining milk produces either lactic acid, when combined with a low pH chemical, or calcium lactate, a boon for medicinal supplements.

• Baking powder creation: Baking powder (monocalcium phosphate) is a reaction of phosphoric acid with high calcium lime. 

• Masonry binding: Hydrated lime is used to bind with sand to form plaster and stucco. Adding 15% hydrated lime to cement significantly reduces shrinkage and cracking. Road and building foundations, earthen dams, and airfields all rely on hydrated lime. 

• Paint formation: Limewash painting is achieved when water and pigment are added to hydrated lime to form a paste-like consistency before it is applied. 

• Soil amending: Adding basic hydrated lime to acidic soil stabilizes the pH for superior plant growth.

Bell Chem is an industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including hydrated lime. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.