where do you think you can buy dolomite rock? Dolomite is found in some specific countries. In general, lime refers to both the high-calcium forms and the magnesium-containing dolomite forms. Lime is produced by burning limestone or dolomite in vertical or large-scale rotary kilns. While industry in most industrialized countries is concentrated in a small number of large firms, in most developing countries lime kilns are small operations using indigenous technology. 
Even in industrialized countries such as Greece, there are small-scale independent vertical furnaces in operation. Pulp and sugar mills may contain captive lime production to regenerate the lime internally. Lime is mainly used in a few industries (especially steel, but also the chemical, paper and sugar industries), mining, as well as for flue gas desulfurization. There are no detailed statistics on world production of lime, however, Miller (2003) estimates world production at 120 million tons, excluding reclaimed lime. The largest producers are China, the United States, Russia, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. Dolomite is an abundant mineral in Wisconsin. It is an important rock-forming mineral in sedimentary dolomites within the Prairie du Chien group (Oneota and Shakopee formations) and Sinnepee group (Platteville, Decorah and Galena formations) and Niagaran rocks. Croix River in the west, south along the Mississippi River to the Illinois border, west through the southern quadrant of the state, and continuing north along the entire shoreline of Lake Michigan. Dolomite is believed to be a secondary substitute for native limestone as the deposits are shale. Dolomite also forms as later suture crystals lining cavities in dolomite. Dolomite can be formed as an alternative to hydrothermal ore, and as such is particularly abundant as gangue ore in zinc ore deposits in the Upper Mississippi Valley region of southwestern Wisconsin. 
Ferroan dolomite occurs in several of the state's Precambrian iron formations. Finally, dolomite is found locally in the state in marble. This is the list of the biggest exporters of dolomite.
- China - 14.3% of world exports ($)
- Belgium - 12% ($)
- Spain - 8.87% ($)
- Canada - 8.18% ($)
- Brazil - 8.15% ($)
- Thailand - 7.92% ($)
- Germany - 7.6% ($)
- Netherlands - 5.26% ($)
- Slovak Republic - 4.8% ($)
- Korea – 6.5 %
Dolomite is slightly harder than limestone. Dolomite has a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, while limestone (composed of the mineral calcite) has a hardness of 3. Dolomite is less soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid. Calcite develops strongly in contact with cold, dilute hydrochloric acid (5%), while dolomite produces a very weak furan. Often these differences are not great enough to establish a positive identity in the field. To further complicate the distinction between rocks in the field, there is a compositional continuum from limestone to dolomite, limestone to dolomite. Chemical analysis that quantifies the relative abundances of calcium and magnesium is needed to accurately name rocks. 
This dolomite is the host rock for bipartite quartz crystals known as "Herkimer diamonds". It is Fuji, has a high silica content, and is much harder and tougher than typical dolomite. Herkimer diamonds are found in oil-lined pots in the rock unit. A portion of the Herkimer diamond appears in the large suit on the left side of this specimen. "Dolomite Rock" and "Dolostone" Some geologists are uncomfortable using the word "dolomite" to refer to a mineral and a rock from the same formation. Instead, they prefer to use "dolomite rock" or "dolomite" when talking about sedimentary rocks and "dolomite" when talking about the mineral. Although these terms simplify communication and improve accuracy, many geologists continue to use the word "dolomite" for both the mineral and the rock. granular dolomite Granular Dolomite - A coarse crystalline dolomite marble specimen from Thornwood, New York. This specimen is approximately 3 inches (6.7 cm) across. dolomite transformation Dolomite behaves like limestone when exposed to heat and pressure. It begins to crystallize with increasing temperature. When this happens, the dolomite crystals in the rock increase in size and the rock develops a distinctive crystalline appearance. 
If you examine the image of granular dolomite, you will see that the rock consists of dolomite crystals, which are easy to identify. Coarse crystalline texture is a sign of recrystallization, often caused by metamorphism. Dolomite turned into metamorphic rock is called "dolomite marble". Lime kiln Lime Kiln: Dolomite and limestone have been heated in kilns to produce lime for thousands of years. This stone structure is the Olema Lime Kiln, located in Marin County, California. It was built in 1850 to produce lime. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. Dolomite Uses Dolomite and limestone are used in a similar way. It is crushed and used as aggregate in construction projects. It is burned in kilns in the cement industry. It is cut into blocks and slabs to be used as a dimension stone. It is roasted to produce lime. Dolomite is preferred in some of these uses. Its great hardness makes it a superior construction material. Its low solubility makes it more resistant to the acid content of rain and soil. The dolomite process results in a slight decrease in volume when the limestone is converted to dolomite. This can result in a porous region in the layers where the decomposition process occurred. These pore spaces can serve as traps for underground fluids such as oil and natural gas. This is why dolomite is often a sought-after reservoir rock in oil and natural gas exploration. 
Dolomite can also serve as a host rock for deposits of lead, zinc, and copper. In the chemical industry, dolomite is used as a source of magnesia (MgO). The steel industry uses dolomite as a sintering agent in iron ore processing and as a flux in steel production. In agriculture, dolomite is used as a soil conditioner and as a livestock additive. Dolomite is used in the production of glass and ceramics. Dolomite was used as a secondary source of magnesium, but today most magnesium is produced from other sources. The largest importers of dolomite in the world were:
- China – 28% of world imports ($)
- India – 17% ($)
- Japan – 16.4% ($)
- Netherlands – 5.22% ($)
- USA – 4.05% ($)
- Other Asia, – 2.87% ($)
- United Kingdom – 2.85% ($)
- Germany: 2.74% ($12.7 million)
- France: 1.49% ($6.96 million)
- Malaysia
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