Glass
Lime and Limestone in Glass Manufacturing
A commercially important property of lime is its ability to form solutions with silicates.
When lime is heated with silica sand (SiO2) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), a solution is formed that does not crystallize when cooled. Instead, it hardens to an amorphous, clear and nearly colorless solid – namely, glass.
Because it is a mixture and not a pure compound, glass does not have a distinct melting point; it gradually softens as it is heated. Therefore, it can be molded and blown into many useful shapes.
