THE SURPRISING USES OF MARBLE
Did You Know Most People “Eat” of Drink Marble and Don’t Know It?
Most people are familiar with the idea that marble is used for countertops, floors, walls, statues, and decorative items. In the following article from Fred M. Hueston, Chief Technical Director for SurpHaces, you’ll discover that marble has many other uses, some of them ingestible! Sit back, relax, and grab some popcorn, because you’re not going to believe what people do with marble.
Garden Lime
Gardeners use lime to raise the pH level of acidic soil, which can help certain plants extract nutrients from the soil. Garden lime is processed from marble. The marble is heated in a kiln, which removes the carbon dioxide from the stone, producing a form of lime called calcium oxide, or quicklime.
Field Marking
In the past, lime was used to mark soccer, baseball, football, and other sports fields. Lime is very caustic, meaning it can cause discomfort or damage if the powder makes its way to a moist skin surface, such as the eyes or sweaty skin of athletes. These days, powdered marble is used as a safer alternative.
Calcium Supplements
Many farm animals require calcium for health reasons and to produce eggs, milk, etc. Farmers mix powdered calcium into animal feed as a supplement. These supplements are nothing more than pulverized marble.
Antacids
If you take an antacid to calm your stomach, you are basically just ingesting powdered marble!
Whiting
Whiting is a fine powder made of marble that is used as a brightener, filler, and even a pigment in many products. It can be used to clean glass after glazing and to shine copper, stainless steel, and other surfaces.
Cosmetics
One of the main ingredients for face powders and blush is pH-neutral calcium carbonate, i.e., marble dust.
Construction Aggregate
Concrete is used for road building and many other uses. Concrete mixtures require cement, water, and an aggregate, such as crushed bits of stone, gravel, or sand. Marble aggregate can be used in concrete.
Neutralizers
Here is a little chemistry lesson. If marble is dissolved in water, it becomes alkaline, which means it increases the pH level of the water. Acid, which is low pH, can be neutralized when marble is added. Marble can be used to increase pH, so it can serve as a neutralizer in swimming pools. It is also used by water treatment plants and other chemical industries.
Your Meds
Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs use powdered marble as a filler. So the next time you need to take a pill, chances are you will be ingesting some marble.
Paint and Craft Additives
Marble powders are popular in many types of paint, as well as acrylic modeling paste, glue base gesso, and all water and oil dispersed paints.
Carbonated Beverages
Have you ever wondered why there is a tiny explosion when you pop open a can of soda? During the manufacturing process, a can is filled with CO2 dissolved in water. When the can is sealed, the pressure causes a chemical reaction to take place, resulting in carbonic acid. The sound you hear when you open the can is caused by carbonic acid returning to the form of CO2 dissolved in water. The carbonic acid that is used in soda is derived from marble.
Chalk
Sidewalk and blackboard chalk used to be made of marble, but these days, most chalk manufacturers use gypsum.
Marcite and Plasters
Marcite, a sprayed-on coating that is applied to built-in swimming pools, contains marble dust. Many plasters also contain marble dust as their main ingredient.
Groceries
Products containing marble, such as baking powder, toothpaste, dry dessert mixes, dough, and wine, are for sale in your local grocery store. The next time you look at a list of ingredients and you see the word calcium, the product likely contains marble.
Marble Cleaning, Polishing, and Sealing in SW Florida
Now that we’ve explored the many uses of marble, did you know that Tru-Clean Surface Care is the “cleaner of choice” for many homeowners and business when it comes to their marble countertop and flooring care needs in SW Florida?
Tru-Clean Surface Care is a nationally Certified PRO in Stone, a surpHaces PRO Partner, and Internationally certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). We are experts in marble, granite, limestone, and travertine cleaning, polishing sealing, and repairs. We service all of Lee, Charlotte, and Collier County.
Tru-Clean Surface Care is A+ Rated with the Better Business Bureau and an eight-year-in-a-row-winner of the coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award. Our cleaning processes and solutions are environmentally responsible, and safe for pets and infants.
For more information on our marble restoration services, please visit Tru-Clean Surface Care online at www.TruCleanSurfaceCare.com or call us any time at 239-541-4888 – Cape Coral and Lee County, 239-206-1935 – Bonita Springs, Naples, and Marco Island, or 941-621-2198 – Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, Florida.
For marble cleaning products, we recommend Pro Cleaning Products line of StonePro professional grade cleaning solutions. Their website is https://procleaningproducts.com/