Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.
Concept
Limestone
Summary
Limestone (calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms when these minerals precipitate out of water containing dissolved calcium. This can take place through both biological and nonbiological processes, though biological processes, such as the accumulation of corals and shells in the sea, have likely been more important for the last 540 million years. Limestone often contains fossils which provide scientists with information on ancient environments and on the evolution of life.
About 20% to 25% of sedimentary rock is carbonate rock, and most of this is limestone. The remaining carbonate rock is mostly dolomite, a closely related rock, which contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, . Magnesian limestone is an obsolete and poorly-defined term used variously for dolomite, for limestone containing significant dolomite (dolomitic limestone), or for any other limestone containing a significant percentage of magnesium. Most limestone was formed in shallow marine environments, such as continental shelves or platforms, though smaller amounts were formed in many other environments. Much dolomite is secondary dolomite, formed by chemical alteration of limestone. Limestone is exposed over large regions of the Earth's surface, and because limestone is slightly soluble in rainwater, these exposures often are eroded to become karst landscapes. Most cave systems are found in limestone bedrock.
Limestone has numerous uses: as a chemical feedstock for the production of lime used for cement (an essential component of concrete), as aggregate for the base of roads, as white pigment or filler in products such as toothpaste or paints, as a soil conditioner, and as a popular decorative addition to rock gardens. Limestone formations contain about 30% of the world's petroleum reservoirs.
Limestone is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate ().
Official source
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related publications (17)
Hydration and durability of fast hardening binders incorporating supplementary cementitious materials
The use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) is widely considered the most promis-ing approach to reduce CO2 emissions relative to cement production. SCMs are not commonly present in binders
EPFL2022Related people (3)
Related concepts (258)
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skeletons and pearls. Materials containing much calcium carbonate or resembling it are described as calcareous. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime and is created when calcium ions in hard water react with carbonate ions to create limescale.
Limestone
Limestone (calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms when these minerals precipitate out of water containing dissolved calcium. This can take place through both biological and nonbiological processes, though biological processes, such as the accumulation of corals and shells in the sea, have likely been more important for the last 540 million years.
Carbonate
A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid (H2CO3), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word carbonate may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group . The term is also used as a verb, to describe carbonation: the process of raising the concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate ions in water to produce carbonated water and other carbonated beverages - either by the addition of carbon dioxide gas under pressure or by dissolving carbonate or bicarbonate salts into the water.
Related courses (5)
CIVIL-211: Geology
Les ingénieurs civils exercent leurs activités en constante interaction avec le sous-sol.
Le cours de géologie donne aux étudiants les bases en Géosciences nécessaires à une ingénierie bien intégrée d
ENG-400: Water quality modeling
This course builds on environmental chemistry and microbiology taken in previous courses. The emphasis is on quantification using the public domain package, PHREEQC, which is an excellent computation
ENV-200: Environmental chemistry
This course provides students with an overview over the basics of environmental chemistry. This includes the chemistry of natural systems, as well as the fate of anthropogenic chemicals in natural sys
Related lectures (59)
Bulky Hamiltonian isotopies
Explores the concept of bulky Hamiltonian isotopies of Lagrangian tori.
Introduction to LC3 Cement
Introduces LC³ cement made with limestone and calcined clay for sustainable construction.
Water Quality Modelling
Explores water quality modelling, focusing on carbonate chemistry reactions and the use of PHREEQC software for water softening simulations.
Related MOOCs (3)
Sorption and transport in cementitious materials
Learn how to study and improve the durability of cementitious materials.
Cement Chemistry and Sustainable Cementitious Materials
Learn the basics of cement chemistry and laboratory best practices for assessment of its key properties.
Water quality and the biogeochemical engine
Learn about how the quality of water is a direct result of complex bio-geo-chemical interactions, and about how to use these processes to mitigate water quality issues.