Slaked lime

Name Variations

 * cal
 * calcium hydroxide
 * hydrated lime
 * lime hydrate
 * pickling lime

About Slaked lime
Wikipedia Article About Slaked lime on Wikipedia

Calcium hydroxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Ca(OH)2. It is a colorless crystal or white powder, and is created when calcium oxide (called lime or quicklime) is slaked with water. It can also be created by mixing an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. A traditional name for calcium hydroxide is slaked lime, or hydrated lime.

If heated, calcium hydroxide decomposes into calcium oxide and water. A suspension of fine calcium hydroxide particles in water, called lime water (or milk of lime), is a medium strength base that reacts violently with acids and attacks many metals in presence of water.

Because of its weak basic properties, calcium hydroxide has many and varied uses:


 * In Native American and Mesoamerican cooking, calcium hydroxide is called "cal". Corn cooked with cal becomes nixtamal which significantly increases the bioavailability of niacin, and is also considered tastier and easier to digest.
 * In chewing betel nut or coca leaves, calcium hydroxide is usually chewed alongside to keep the alkaloid stimulants chemically available for absorption by the body.
 * Similarly, Native Americans traditionally chewed tobacco leaves with calcium hydroxide derived from burnt shells to enhance the effects.
 * In Chinese cuisine, for making century eggs