Technical terms, explained

Index describing the basic character of the slag. B2 is the CaO/SiO₂ ratio; B4 is (CaO+MgO)/(SiO₂+Al₂O₃). Controlling basicity is essential for refining (removing S and P) and for slag stability.

Proportion of calcium to magnesium in the soil. Soils low in Mg call for dolomitic limestone (rich in magnesium) to balance the ratio and avoid nutritional deficiency.

Critical Pigment Volume Concentration. The point in a paint formulation beyond which properties such as gloss and permeability change abruptly; the mineral filler helps position the formulation relative to the CPVC.

Median particle diameter: 50% of the mass lies below this size. It is the main parameter for specifying the fineness of micronized mineral fillers.

Limestone rich in calcium and magnesium carbonate (CaCO₃·MgCO₃). It supplies Ca and Mg at once — the basis of Nova Ita's solutions for agriculture, steelmaking, sugar-and-ethanol mills and industry.

Hydroxide obtained by slaking quicklime (Ca(OH)₂, or with Mg(OH)₂ in the dolomitic case). More stable and easier to dose; common in water/gas treatment and in construction.

The speed at which quicklime reacts (e.g. slaking). It depends on calcination quality: under-burned or over-burned (dead-burned) lime reacts poorly and consumes more material for the same effect.

Mass lost when the sample is heated (Loss On Ignition), associated with the release of CO₂ and water. In limestone it indicates the degree of calcination; a high LOI points to undecomposed carbonate.

The MgO content in the slag that keeps it in equilibrium with the magnesia refractory (MgO-C). Saturating the slag with MgO from the charge (via dolomite) stops it from dissolving magnesium out of the lining — extending the furnace campaign.

Total capacity to neutralize acidity, expressed as calcium carbonate equivalent (% CCE). It measures the 'chemical strength' of the liming material, independent of reaction speed.

Amount of oil the filler absorbs per unit mass. It influences the resin/binder demand in the formulation and the final cost — the lower it is, the more economical the filler tends to be.

Relative Total Neutralizing Power (Poder Relativo de Neutralização Total), the Brazilian ag-lime quality index — equivalent to the Effective Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (ECCE). It combines neutralizing power (NP) and reactivity (RE): PRNT = NP × RE ÷ 100. It is the share of the liming material that actually neutralizes acidity within the agronomic time frame — and the figure used to calculate the rate.

Oxide obtained by calcining limestone (CaO, or CaO·MgO in the dolomitic case). Highly reactive; used where a fast reaction is wanted, such as a flux in steelmaking and in some treatments.

Fraction of the material that reacts within a useful agronomic time frame, tied directly to particle size: the finer it is, the higher the reactivity. Two liming materials with the same NP can perform very differently because of RE.

Particle size above which there is virtually no material (e.g. D97). It caps the coarse particles — important in paints, plastics and coatings for finish and performance.

Share of the soil's CEC occupied by bases (Ca, Mg, K). Liming raises V% to the level the crop requires; the gap between the current V% and the target defines the lime requirement.