Lime Plant Research Articles

Analysis of the effects of Glomus etunicatum fungi and Pseudomonas fluorescence bacteria symbiosis on some morphological and physiological characteristics of Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia L.) under drought stress conditions

To analyze the effects of Glomus etunicatum fungi and Pseudomonas fluorescence bacteria on some morphological and physiological characteristics of Mexican lime plant under drought stress conditions, a factorial experiment was conducted. This experiment was based on a completely randomized design with three replicates; each replicate was composed of two pots. The factors used consisted of G. etunicatum fungi and control, Pseudomonas fluorescence bacteria and control, and drought stress at three levels (-0.35, -0.47, and -0.6 bars). The analyzed characteristics were leaf chlorophyll content, leaf temperature, rate of net photosynthesis, transpiration, leaf relative water content (RWC), and percentage of root colonization. Data analysis revealed that both fungi and bacteria increased leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate, transpiration, and leaf RWC. Moreover, the presence of fungi reduced leaf temperature while inoculation of bacteria had no effects on that the parameter. In addition, with the increase of irrigation periods, leaf temperature and transpiration were also increased. Results showed that root colonization percentage dropped with increased irrigation and the highest root colonization percentage was observed in simultaneous inoculations of fungi and bacteria with a two-day irrigation period.

Ongoing Improvements, New Technologies Lead to System Success

Florida's Palm Beach County Water Treatment Plant 9 has transitioned from a 30‐year‐old lime plant to the largest nanofiltration water treatment facility in the United States.

Cracking of an austenitic stainless steel lance pipe in a lime calcining plant

Kiln of a lime plant, a part of an integrated steel plant, converts limestone (CaCO3) into lime (CaO) by heating at a temperature of around 900°C using coke oven gas as a fuel. Coke oven gas is a by-product of the coke plant, which contains mainly hydro-carbons. The coke oven gas is lanced into the kiln through a number of pipes attached to the kiln. The lance pipes are cracking prematurely within 6months of their service against an expected service life of 3years. The analysis of cracking of the lance pipe has been presented. The investigation includes visual observation, chemical analysis, characterization of microstructures using optical and scanning electron microscopes, EDS analysis, and measurement of hardness. The lances are found to be made of AISI 302 grade of austenitic stainless steel. Visual observation shows longitudinal cracks on the pipe wall associated with irregular yellowish surface having multiple pits. Analysis of the deposit on the pipe wall shows the presence of sulphur. Microstructural examination shows intergranular corrosion with thick porous layer of scale on the surface. Microstructural and EDS analysis indicate sulphidation and chromium carbide networks along the grain boundary as well as sigma phases within the grains. Sulphidation, sensitization due to grain boundary carbides and sigma phases led to intergranular corrosion causing cracking of the pipe wall.

Lime and Compost Promote Plant Re-Colonization of Metal-Polluted, Acidic Soils

The revegetation of soils affected by historic depositions of an industrial complex in Central Chile was studied. The plant re-colonization from the existing soil seed bank and changes in the physico-chemical properties of the soil were evaluated in field plots amended with lime and/or compost. We found that the application of lime and/or compost decreased the Cu2+ ion activity in the soil solution and the exchangeable Cu in the soil, showing an effective Cu immobilization in the topsoil. Whereas lime application had no effect on plant productivity in comparison with the unamended control, the application of compost and lime+compost increased the plant cover and aboveground biomass due to the higher nutrient availability and water-holding capacity of the compost-amended soils. Although the Cu2+ activity and the exchangeable Cu were markedly lower in the amended soils than in the unamended control, the shoot Cu concentrations of Lolium spp. and Eschscholzia californica did not differ between the treatments.

Magnetic Susceptibility and Heavy Metal Content in Dust From the Lime Plant and the Cement Plant in Opole Voivodeship

Magnetic Susceptibility and Heavy Metal Content in Dust From the Lime Plant and the Cement Plant in Opole Voivodeship Until now, dust arising from lime manufacture has been considered harmless to the environment so it has been investigated marginally from the standpoint of environmental protection, especially when it came to magnetic properties and heavy metal content. The aim of the research was filling the gap in this area. The research comprised measurements of magnetic susceptibility, the content of heavy metals, reaction (pH) and specific conductivity of lime dust and also raw material and fuel used for lime production. The samples were taken from one of the lime plants located in Opole Province. Similar investigations were also performed for dust taken from the nearby cement plant using dry method of cement production. It was proven that magnetic susceptibility, heavy metal content and conductivity of lime dust was lower in comparison to cement dust, which resulted from the fact that the lime plant used neither low raw materials nor additives. Due to the high atmosphere dust level in the vicinity of the investigated plants, extremely basic reaction of the tested dust and high content of metals, the studied dust cause alkalization of soils and contribute to the increase of heavy metal content in soils, posing a threat to the environment.

Modelling the progress of Asiatic citrus canker on Tahiti lime in relation to temperature and leaf wetness

The combined effect of temperature (15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C and 42°C) and leaf wetness duration (0, 4, 8 12, 16, 20 and 24 h) on infection and development of Asiatic citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri) on Tahiti lime plant was examined in growth chambers. No disease developed at 42°C and zero hours of leaf wetness. Periods of leaf wetness as short as 4 h were sufficient for citrus canker infection. However, a longer leaf duration wetness (24 h) did not result in much increase in the incidence of citrus canker, but led to twice the number of lesions and four times the disease severity. Temperature was the greatest factor influencing disease development. At optimum temperatures (25–35°C), there was 100% disease incidence. Maximum disease development was observed at 30–35°C, with up to a 12-fold increase in lesion density, a 10-fold increase in lesion size and a 60-fold increase in disease severity.

Solar chemical reactor technology for industrial production of lime

We developed the solar chemical reactor technology to effect the endothermic calcination reaction CaCO 3(s) → CaO(s) + CO 2(g) at 1200–1400 K. The indirect heating 10 kW th multi-tube rotary kiln prototype processed 1–5 mm limestone particles, producing high purity lime that is not contaminated with combustion by-products. The quality of the solar produced quicklime meets highest industrial standards in terms of reactivity (low, medium, and high) and degree of calcination (exceeding 98%). The reactor’s efficiency, defined as the enthalpy of the calcination reaction at ambient temperature (3184 kJ kg −1) divided by the solar energy input, reached 30–35% for quicklime production rates up to 4 kg h −1. The solar lime reactor prototype operated reliably for more than 100 h at solar flux inputs of about 2000 kW m −2, withstanding the thermal shocks that occur in solar high temperature applications. By substituting concentrated solar energy for fossil fuels as the source of process heat, one can reduce by 20% the CO 2 emissions in a state-of-the-art lime plant and by 40% in a conventional cement plant. The cost of solar lime produced in a 20 MW th industrial solar calcination plant is estimated in the range 131–158 $/t, i.e. about 2–3 times the current selling price of conventional lime.

Multitube Rotary Kiln for the Industrial Solar Production of Lime

We designed and tested a scaleable solar multitube rotary kiln to effect the endothermic calcination reaction CaCO3→CaO+CO2 at above 1300K. The indirect heating 10-kW reactor prototype processes 1-5mm limestone particles, producing high purity lime of any desired reactivity and with a degree of calcination exceeding 98%. The reactor’s efficiency, defined as the enthalpy of the calcination reaction at ambient temperature (3184kJkg−1) divided by the solar energy input, reached 30%–35% for solar flux inputs of about 2000kWm−2 and for quicklime production rates up to 4kgh−1. The use of concentrated solar energy in place of fossil fuels as the source of process heat has the potential of reducing by 20% CO2 emissions in a state-of-the-art lime plant and by 40% in a conventional cement plant.

Economic evaluation of the industrial solar production of lime

Abstract The use of concentrated solar energy in place of fossil fuels for driving the endothermic calcination reaction CaCO3 → CaO + CO2 at above 1300 K has the potential of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% in a state-of-the-art lime plant and up to 40% in a conventional cement plant. An economic assessment for an industrial solar calcination plant with 25 MWth solar input indicates that the cost of solar produced lime ranges between 128 and 157 $/t, about twice the current selling price of conventional lime. The solar production of high purity lime for special sectors in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry might be competitive with conventional fossil fuel based calcination processes at current fuel prices.

Occurrence of Witches'-Broom, a New Phytoplasma Disease of Acid Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) in India.

In India, acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia (L.) Swingle) is one of the most important citrus fruits grown. It constitutes nearly 20% of the total citrus production. During 1995, an unusual type of disease was observed on a 6-year-old acid lime plant in an orchard in the Nagpur District in eastern Maharashtra. It was named witches'-broom disease (WBD) to reflect the most conspicuous symptom. Other symptoms included small chlorotic leaves, highly proliferated shoots, and shortened internodes. Leaves dropped prematurely and infected twigs were distorted. In advanced stages, infected branches had dieback symptoms. WBD of lime has been reported from Oman and UAE (1) and the causal phytoplasma was designated "Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia" (2). Subsequent surveys in 1995-1998 revealed disease incidences as high as 5% in Maharashtra and in other major acid-lime-growing states-Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka. After the grafting of infected acid lime shoots, disease symptoms developed on Troyer citrange, rough lemon, and Rangpur lime, but not on sweet orange (mosambi), mandarin (Nagpur), or trifoliate orange. The WBD agent was transmitted from infected acid lime to periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) plants and vice versa by dodder (Cuscuta reflexa). Ultrathin sections of leaf midrib of infected acid lime plants were fixed on copper grids, stained with uranyl acetate and lead acetate, and examined in a JEM 100S transmission electron microscope. Numerous bodies having the characteristic morphology of phytoplasmas were observed in phloem sieve tubes of acid lime in diseased but not in healthy leaves. The phytoplasmal bodies ranged from 100 to 800 nm in diameter and were bounded by a poorly defined membrance. Freehand transverse sections of young internode regions of a WBD-infected periwinkle plant were stained in DAPI (4', 6 diamidino-2-phenylindole; 1.0 μg/ml) and were observed with a fluorescent microscope (Leica). An intense bluish-white fluorescence in the phloem elements of diseased periwinkle and its absence in healthy samples were consistent with the presence of phytoplasmas. This is the first report of phytoplasma-induced witches'-broom disease of acid lime in India.

Formulation of production blasting criteria for the construction of a lime plant at a major crushed stone operation

Abstract A blast-monitoring program conducted at Chemical Lime Company's new lime calcining facility near St Genevieve, Missouri, USA is discussed. The purpose was to develop blasting criteria for the construction and operation of the lime plant within the quarry operated by Tower Rock Stone. Further, it was imperative to accommodate production requirements into the blasting criteria. The major concern was the effect of blasting on the curing of green concrete during the construction of the storage silos and kiln stacks. In addition to discussing the susceptibility of curing concrete to blast vibrations, the paper also details how this varies with time. The following are addressed in detail: (1) the effect of presplitting on ground vibrations; (2) the formulation of scale distance models for blast vibrations in each bench; and (3) the formulation of the effect of blasts at the kiln site when blasting out of the monitoring horizon. A discussion of the instrumentation employed and the strategy used to deter...

Source identification and apportionment for atmospheric aerosol by factor analysis

The statistical basis for factor analysis is briefly discussed. A method combining common factor analysis with orthogonal transformation has been proposed and discussed in detail. The method has been tested with a data set consisting of 16 elemental concentrations in 40 samples collected at the Beijing meteorological tower, March 1980. Seven sources—soil+coal fly ash, sulfate, cement and lime dust, oil, plant burning, motor, and marine aerosol—corresponding to the first seven factors have been identified. The source profiles and their contributions have been obtained.

CONTAMINATION OF DAIRY FEEDS BY AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution of forage for dairy cattle is already a serious problem where industry is encroaching upon land used for production of feed and forage crops. In Pennsylvania, lead poisoning and serious metabolic disease. resulting from lime plant stack effluents have caused losses on dairy and beef cattle farms. Evidence of intoxication and other metabolic disturbances in cattle in areas close to industries warrants search of pastures or stored forage crops for toxic air pollutants. Pasture areas close to heavily travelled highways may contain appreciable quantities of lead. This situation appears to justify immediate concern by health and agriculture regulatory agencies.

A Modern Hydrated Lime Plant.

A Modern Hydrated Lime Plant.