1. n. [Drilling Fluids]
Common term for calcium hydroxide, a chemical with formula Ca(OH)2. Lime is used in lime muds and as a treatment to remove carbonate ions. It is used as a stabilizing ingredient in oil- and synthetic-base mud, essential to formation of fatty-acid soap emulsifiers. It is an alkaline material that can be carried in excess to neutralize hydrogen sulfide [H2S] and carbon dioxide [CO2].
See related terms: alkalinity, calcium mud, calcium oxide, carbonate ion, equivalent weight, lime mud, low-colloid oil mud, oil-base mud