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THE
LIME-WORKERS
One of the oldest artisanal occupations
carried out in the Sierra de las Nieves was
that of lime-worker, Calero, now
disappeared. A calero is a person who
extracts limestone and cement using a
limekiln.
The Sierra de las Nieves region has strata
of sandy configuration and a good number of
limestone outcrops. Traditionally, they have
been used for the extraction of stone for
the production of lime. The lime stone is of
whitish colour with an anhydrous base
(calcium oxide CO3).
The lime is obtained by burning the
limestone in kilns built on cylindrical pits
in the ground where the temperature reaches
close to 1000ºC, provoking the following
reaction:
Limestone + heat = carbonic gas + lime
Ca CO3 + heat = Co2 +
CaO
Calcium carbonate + water: calcium carbonate
+ heat
This process produces the rapid
disintegration of the stone, which is
diluted in water. Subsequently, lime powder
can be obtained by leaving the paste to dry.
Characteristics of the kiln:
Depth: 3 or 4 metres
Diameter: 2 or 3 metres
Interior capacity: 3 or 4 m3.
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