In broad sense definition, the limestone is any rock rich in CaCO3. Limestone can be obtained from a variety of sources and various limestones differ considerably in their chemical compositions and physical structure. The chemical and physical properties of carbonate rocks are interdependent. Physical characteristics of limestone play an important role in evaluating a deposit. Certain physical characteristics in limestones may indicate a general disposition description during calcination. However, all stones with these characteristics will not decrepitate. Limestones display the following attributes or conditions, alone or in combination, are prone to decrepitation; coarse crystallinity, friability, foliation, excessive calcite veining, microfracturing, highly porous and thinly bedded. The chemical reactivity of different limestones shows a large variation due to their differences in crystalline structure and the nature of impurities such as silica, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium and potassium. Magnesium and ferrous iron cations occurring in limestone may change the carbonate mineralogy of limestone as well as its physical characteristics such as colour, brightness, specific gravity, hardness, tenacity and decomposition properties 1,2 .The main chemical property of limestone is its thermal decomposition, known as calcination, during which lime (CaO) and carbon dioxide are produced (eqn. 1) 1,3 . The calcination process is explained with a partly decomposed piece of carbonate
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.