A co-product of the acetylene generation process, carbide lime (also called hydrated lime or calcium hydroxide) is also useful in a variety of non-industrial applications.
Although some might consider this a subset of environmental engineering, there are some important uses of carbide lime that might not be readily apparent. For example, carbide lime is already in slurry form from the acetylene generation process, making it easily spreadable and sprayable over large tracts of land. In this way farmers use our carbide lime to neutralize the affects of acid rain, and mines use it to neutralize acidic water runoff. In the right amount, the fine size and reactivity of our carbide lime causes a chemical reaction with soil similar to the formation of concrete. This soil stabilization reaction is used in the road construction industry as it forms a very stable sub-roadbed surface for our roads and highways.
Soil Engineering: Applied Chemistry for Mass Benefit