Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks, shells of marine organisms, pearls, and eggshells.
Calcium carbonate is widely used in various industries, including the food and pharmaceutical industries, as a dietary supplement, antacid, and as a base for tablets and capsules. It is also used as a filler in paper, paint, and plastics. In construction, it is used as a building material, as well as a source of lime for making cement.
Calcium carbonate is a white, odorless powder that is insoluble in water. It is composed of calcium ions (Ca2+) and carbonate ions (CO32-). It has a high melting point of 825°C and is stable at normal temperatures and pressures. It reacts with acids to form carbon dioxide and a calcium salt.
What is Required Calcium carbonate
“Required Calcium carbonate” is not a standard term in chemistry or any specific industry. However, if you are referring to the recommended daily intake of calcium carbonate for human health, it varies depending on age, gender, and other factors.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends a daily intake of 1000 mg of calcium for most adults, while women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 70 require 1200 mg daily. Calcium carbonate is a common dietary supplement used to meet these requirements, especially for those who do not consume enough calcium through their diet.
It’s important to note that excessive calcium intake can also have negative health effects, such as kidney stones and gastrointestinal issues. Therefore, it’s always best to consult a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate calcium intake for an individual’s specific needs.
Preparation
By far most of calcium carbonate utilized in industry is removed by mining or quarrying. Unadulterated calcium carbonate, (for example, for food or drug use), can be delivered from an unadulterated quarried source (normally marble).
Then again, calcium carbonate is ready from calcium oxide. Water is added to give calcium hydroxide then carbon dioxide is gone through this answer for hasten the ideal calcium carbonate, alluded to in the business as encouraged calcium carbonate (PCC) This cycle is called carbonatation:
In a laboratory, calcium carbonate can easily be crystallized from calcium chloride (CaCl2), by placing an aqueous solution of CaCl2 in a desiccator alongside ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3. In the desiccator, ammonium carbonate is exposed to air and decomposes into ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water. The carbon dioxide then diffuses into the aqueous solution of calcium chloride, reacts with the calcium ions and the water, and forms calcium carbonate.
Amorphous calcium carbonate
Indistinct calcium carbonate (ACC) is the undefined and least stable polymorph of calcium carbonate. ACC is very unsteady under ordinary circumstances and is found normally in taxa as far reaching as ocean imps, corals, mollusks, and foraminifera. It is normally found as a monohydrate, holding the synthetic recipe CaCO3·H2O; notwithstanding, it can likewise exist in a dried out state, CaCO3. ACC has been known to science for north of 100 years when a non-diffraction example of calcium carbonate was found by Sturcke Herman, showing its ineffectively requested nature.
ACC is an illustration of crystallization by molecule connection (CPA), where precious stones structure by means of the expansion of particles going from multi-particle buildings to full fledged nanocrystals. Examination of such frameworks have different application; in any case, the ongoing absence of unambiguous responses to essential inquiries (for example solvency item, interfacial powers, structure, and so forth) makes them be subjects of concentrate in fields going from science, topography, science, physical science, and materials science designing.
Limestone
Limestone (calcium carbonate CaCO3) is a sort of carbonate sedimentary stone which is the primary wellspring of the material lime. It is made generally out of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different precious stone types of CaCO3. Limestone structures when these minerals encourage out of water containing broke up calcium. This can happen through both organic and nonbiological processes, however natural cycles, like the aggregation of corals and shells in the ocean, have likely been more significant for the last 540 million years. Limestone frequently contains fossils which furnish researchers with data on antiquated conditions and on the development of life.
Around 20% to 25% of sedimentary stone is carbonate rock, and the greater part of this is limestone. The excess carbonate rock is generally dolomite, a firmly related rock, which contains a high level of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2. Magnesian limestone is an outdated and ineffectively characterized term utilized differently for dolomite, for limestone containing huge dolomite (dolomitic limestone), or for some other limestone containing a critical level of magnesium. Most limestone was framed in shallow marine conditions, for example, mainland racks or stages, however more modest sums were shaped in numerous different conditions. Much dolomite is auxiliary dolomite, shaped by synthetic adjustment of limestone. Limestone is uncovered over enormous locales of the World’s surface, and in light of the fact that limestone is marginally solvent in water, these openings frequently are dissolved to become karst scenes. Most cavern frameworks are tracked down in limestone bedrock.
Limestone has various purposes: as a substance feedstock for the development of lime utilized for concrete (a fundamental part of cement), as total for the foundation of streets, as white shade or filler in items like toothpaste or paints, as a dirt conditioner, and as a famous beautiful expansion to shake gardens. Limestone developments contain around 30% of the world’s oil supplies.
Precipitated Calcium Carbonate
PCC stands for Precipitated Calcium Carbonate—also known as purified, refined or synthetic calcium carbonate. It has the same chemical formula as other types of calcium carbonate, such as limestone, marble and chalk: CaCO3. The calcium, carbon and oxygen atoms can arrange themselves in three different ways, to form three different calcium carbonate minerals. The most common arrangement for both precipitated and ground calcium carbonates is the hexagonal form known as calcite. A number of different calcite crystal forms are possible: scalenohedral, rhombohedral and prismatic. Less common is aragonite, which has a discrete or clustered needle orthorhombic crystal structure. Rare and generally unstable is the vaterite calcium carbonate mineral.
Calcium carbonates, including PCC, are considered to be non-toxic. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has Affirmed calcium carbonate to be GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). As long as the PCC meets certain purity requirements, it can be used as a direct food additive, as a pharmaceutical or as an indirect additive in paper products that come in contact with food. Similar acceptances and approvals exist around the world where PCCs are widely used in these applications. Click on the Contact Us link below to inquire about specific regulations covering the use of PCCs in these health-related uses, or on the MSDS link to download a Material Safety Data Sheet covering a Specialty Minerals Inc.’s (SMI’s) PCC product.
Case Study on Calcium carbonate
Here’s a brief case study on the use of calcium carbonate in the paper industry:
Background:
A paper manufacturing company was looking for a cost-effective and efficient way to improve the quality and consistency of its paper products. One of the main challenges they faced was maintaining the desired level of opacity, brightness, and smoothness in their paper while minimizing the use of expensive raw materials.
Solution:
The paper company decided to incorporate calcium carbonate into its paper production process as a filler and coating agent. Calcium carbonate is an abundant, low-cost mineral that can improve paper quality and performance by enhancing its optical and surface properties.
The company tested different grades of calcium carbonate and found that a fine, high-purity grade with a particle size distribution of 0.5-2 microns was the most effective. They added calcium carbonate to the paper pulp in varying concentrations, depending on the desired properties of the final product.
Results: The use of calcium carbonate resulted in several significant improvements in the paper’s properties, including:
- Increased opacity: The addition of calcium carbonate improved the paper’s opacity, reducing the amount of light that passed through the paper and making it more suitable for printing and writing applications.
- Increased brightness: Calcium carbonate has a high refractive index, which improves the paper’s brightness and whiteness, making it more visually appealing.
- Improved smoothness: The fine particles of calcium carbonate helped fill in the gaps between the fibers in the paper, resulting in a smoother surface that was more suitable for printing.
- Cost savings: By using calcium carbonate as a filler and coating agent, the paper company was able to reduce the amount of expensive raw materials they needed to use, resulting in significant cost savings.
Conclusion:
The use of calcium carbonate in the paper production process was a cost-effective and efficient way for the paper company to improve the quality and consistency of its products. By using a low-cost, abundant mineral as a filler and coating agent, the company was able to achieve significant improvements in paper properties while reducing costs and minimizing the use of expensive raw materials.
White paper on Calcium carbonate
Here’s a white paper on Calcium Carbonate:
Introduction:
Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring mineral that is widely used in various industries due to its unique properties. It is one of the most abundant minerals on earth and can be found in rocks, shells, and the skeletons of marine organisms. Calcium carbonate has a variety of applications, from paper and plastics to construction and agriculture. This white paper will focus on the properties, production, and applications of calcium carbonate.
Properties:
Calcium carbonate has several unique properties that make it a valuable material for a wide range of applications. These properties include:
- High whiteness: Calcium carbonate has a high refractive index, which makes it a highly reflective and white material. It is commonly used in the production of paper, plastics, and paints to improve their brightness and whiteness.
- Chemical stability: Calcium carbonate is a stable compound that does not easily react with other chemicals, making it an ideal material for use in various applications where chemical stability is required.
- Low cost: Calcium carbonate is an abundant and low-cost material that is readily available from natural sources such as limestone and marble.
Production:
Calcium carbonate can be produced naturally through geological processes or artificially through various manufacturing methods. The most common methods of producing calcium carbonate are:
- Extraction from natural sources: Calcium carbonate can be extracted from naturally occurring sources such as limestone, chalk, and marble. The extracted material is then processed to obtain a fine powder or granules of calcium carbonate.
- Precipitation: Calcium carbonate can be synthesized through a precipitation process in which calcium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate. This method is commonly used in the production of high-purity calcium carbonate for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Applications:
Calcium carbonate has a wide range of applications in various industries, including:
- Paper: Calcium carbonate is commonly used in the paper industry as a filler and coating agent to improve paper properties such as opacity, brightness, and smoothness.
- Plastics: Calcium carbonate is used in the production of plastics to improve their stiffness, impact resistance, and dimensional stability.
- Construction: Calcium carbonate is used as a filler and pigment in construction materials such as cement, mortar, and paint.
- Agriculture: Calcium carbonate is used as a soil amendment to improve soil fertility and crop growth by providing essential nutrients such as calcium and neutralizing acidic soils.
Conclusion:
Calcium carbonate is a versatile and valuable mineral that has a wide range of applications in various industries. Its unique properties, including high whiteness, chemical stability, and low cost, make it an ideal material for use in paper, plastics, construction, agriculture, and many other applications. With the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly materials, calcium carbonate is expected to play a crucial role in the development of new materials and products in the future.