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Distributors of Chem-Cal , High Calcium Quicklime and High Calcium Hydrated Lime......
· High Calcium Hydrate and quicklime available in bulk and bag quantities. · Bulk hydrated and quicklime delivered in pneumatic tank trucks. · Hydrated lime available in #50 bags shrink-wrapped and palleted. Also available in 1500-1700lb. sacks. · High Magnesium agricultural lime also available in bulk, bags or chips. |
Company HistoryIn May, 1952, John C. Madigan, Jr. (Jack) started J.C. Madigan, a single truck agricultural lime spreading operation in Harvard, Massachusetts. J.C. Madigan provided spreading service for farms and golf courses throughout New England and also sold agricultural lime in both bag and bulk form to end users such as apple orchards. Over time, in order to meet the growing demand, the operation expanded to eight spreaders and a number of tractor-trailer trucks for delivery to its customers. Agricultural lime sales volume continued to increase through the 1960's and into the 1970's, eventually topping over 30,000 tons annually. However, as government farm subsidies decreased and the value of land increased during the late 1970's, a sharp decline in the number of farms in the New England region caused sales of agricultural lime to begin to decline. |
Lime: Its Chemistry and ApplicationsLime is a general term referring to products derived from heated or "calcined" limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), principally quicklime and hydrated lime. Limestone is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock formed by the compression of the remnants of coral animals and plants on ocean floors. Once heated between 2000-2400º F in rotary or vertical kilns, it forms quicklime, which is then hydrated under controlled conditions to form slaked, or hydrated lime. Quicklime Production
Producing high calcium quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO) requires high temperatures for dissociation of the calcium carbonate with the resultant formation of calcium oxide and the generation of carbon dioxide: CaCO3 + Heat --------> CaO + CO2
Hydrated Lime ProductionHigh calcium quicklime readily reacts with water resulting in the formation of hydrated lime. The reaction is highly exothermic (generates heat), and the overall process is known as "slaking". The reaction is accomplished using a "slaker", a specially designed mixer which completely incorporates the added water with the quicklime, resulting in a fine, dry powder. Further hydration may produce a putty slurry or "milk of lime". In general, the chemical composition of the hydrated lime mirrors that of the quicklime from which it was derived. Hydration of a high calcium quicklime will produce a high calcium hydrated lime containing 72 to 74 calcium oxide(CaO), and 23 to 24 percent water chemically bonded to the oxide. Hydration results in conversion of the parent oxides to hydroxides as follows: CaO + H2O --------> Ca(OH)2+ Heat ApplicationsHydrated lime is valuable in many industrial applications, including waste and water treatment, the drying and stabilization of soil, Ph and odor control, agricultural applications, asphalt modification and building product components such as plasters and whitewash. It is also frequently used in the scrubbing of sulfur dioxide from stack gases emitted from industrial boilers and power plants.
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Looking to sustain the growth of the business, J.C. Madigan began its transition into the sale of industrial lime products. J.C. Madigan's primary supplier of agricultural lime was U.S. Gypsum, a company that produced both the agricultural lime which had been the original focus of the business and the industrial lime products that soon became the next step in the growth of the company. |
In 1975, J.C. Madigan sold its declining agricultural spreading interests to focus on the emerging industrial lime business, which includes the marketing of both hydrated lime and quicklime products. These products offered potential growth and eliminated the seasonality of the agricultural lime business. In order to meet the demands of shifting to industrial lime distribution a significant investment of capital was required. The company increased its delivery fleet to ten tractor-trailer trucks which delivered lime seven days a week. In addition to the capital expenditure, Mr. Madigan understood the benefits of creating proprietary assets add created his own trademarked brand name for the hydrated lime called CHEM-CAL.™ Initially J.C. Madigan continued to use U.S. Gypsum as its source of industrial lime products. However, when U.S. Gypsum closed its industrial lime facility in 1970, the company was forced tofind a new source. J.C. Madigan was abe to identify a a suitable supplier as its source of industrial grade lime in Dom-Tar, Inc. which was subsequently purchased by our current supplier, Graymont, Inc. In 1993, in response to continued growth, it was decided to incorporate the operation that Mr. Madigan had run as a sole proprietorship since its origins in 1952. Madigan Lime corporation was incorporated by Mr. Madigan's two sons, John C. Madigan III (president) and Timothy Madigan (treasurer). Today, Madigan Lime Corporation continues to distribute industrial lime throughout the Northeast. The company sources its industrial lime from Graymont Inc. with locations in Jolliete, Marbleton and Bedford, Quebec, Canada. |
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The company also continues to distribute, although on a much smaller scale, the agricultural lime which had been the foundation of the original operation as well as other mineral based products including calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and lime chips. |
Contact InformationMadigan Lime Corporation Shaker Road P.O. Box 745 Harvard, MA 01451 (978)772-LIME (5463) Fax: (978)772-2219
EMAIL: sales@industriallime.com |
