CaO
calcium oxide · quicklime, burnt lime
Calcium oxide is a stable, insulating inorganic compound commonly known as quicklime that plays a vital role in industrial manufacturing and chemical processing.

About calcium oxide
Calcium oxide is a fundamental inorganic compound that exists as a thermodynamically stable solid. Its character as a wide-gap insulator makes it a critical component in various high-temperature industrial applications where chemical stability is paramount.
Due to its extensive history and utility, this material is exceptionally well-documented in structural databases. It serves as a cornerstone in materials chemistry, providing a reliable foundation for the synthesis of more complex ceramic and mineral systems.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for calcium oxide, aggregated across 4 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of CaO. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting CaO.
Applications
Where calcium oxide is used.
Patent Landscape
10 patents reference CaO or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3965237 | Dissolution process for ZrO.sub.2 -UO.sub.2 -CaO fuels | — | — |
| 5110772 | Fabrication of dense SI.sub.3 N.sub.4 ceramics using CaO-TiO.sub.2 SiO.sub. 2 | — | — |
| 3966421 | Ultra-high strength steel containing CaO, MgO, BaO or SrO having improved resistance to environmental stress c | — | — |
| 4486545 | SIO.sub.2 -CaO Based low cubically expansive flame-spraying material | — | — |
| 7595037 | Method and apparatus for hydration of a particulate or pulverulent material containing CaO, hydrated product, | — | — |
| 7087526 | Method of fabricating a p-type CaO-doped SrCu2O2 thin film | — | — |
| 4795725 | Method for the manufacture of refractory bricks containing CaO | — | — |
| 4710481 | Method for melting Ti or a high-Ti alloy in CaO refractories | — | — |
| 4605443 | CaO-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -SiO.sub.2 glass hydraulic cements | — | — |
| 5077260 | Compositions involving V.sub.2 O.sub.3 -CaO | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about calcium oxide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is CaO?
Calcium oxide is a stable, insulating inorganic compound commonly known as quicklime that plays a vital role in industrial manufacturing and chemical processing.
What is CaO used for?
What is the band gap of CaO?
Is CaO a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is CaO thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of CaO are known?
How is CaO synthesized?
What elements does CaO contain?
Where does the data for CaO come from?
How It Compares
As a highly stable and well-characterized oxide, this compound serves as a primary reference material for alkaline earth metal oxides. Its structural simplicity and thermodynamic robustness distinguish it as a foundational building block in inorganic chemistry, setting the standard for stability within its chemical group.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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