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Calcium Carbonate (Calcite)
Mineral Properties
The crystalline mineral calcite is composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO)3 and occurs naturally in the form of chalk, limestone or marble.
Calcium carbonates are found in most countries, the quality of the deposits and processing can be variable. Imerys combine good quality feed materials, state of the art processing techniques and in depth market knowledge to generate a portfolio of products for the paint, plastics, film, adhesives and rubber industries.
Markets for Calcium Carbonate
Ground calcium carbonate (GCC) has been used in paint for thousands of years. Coarser grades act as simple fillers and can control gloss, finer grades can be used as extenders. A key feature of the ImerCarb™ marble based grades of GCC is their whiteness.
Many types of Plastic benefit from the addition of ground calcium carbonate (GCC), which increases rigidity and can have a positive effect on other mechanical properties such as tensile strength and impact strength. The whiteness of Imerys calcium carbonates, in particular the Carbital™ stearate coated grades makes them ideal for use in uPVC profiles.
The Film industry uses fine calcium carbonate to reduce the formulation cost, especially relevant when polymer prices are high, and also to increase processing speeds. The market leading FilmLink® range of engineered calcium carbonates is used to make breathable film for the diaper market.
Adhesives and sealants use ground calcium carbonates (GCC) to adjust rheological properties and to give the sealant “body”, colour is also important as many sealants require a white mineral filler to maintain a white or light colour.
IMERYS – a leading calcium carbonate supplier with production sites throughout the world. High quality functional fillers and extenders are sold under the Carbital™, ImerCarb™ and FilmLink® tradenames.
Geology
The geological origins of calcium carbonates are explained below.
1. Geological movements combined with the drying of oceans leaves chalk deposits. Clays and soil components are deposited with time, some may permeate into chalk.
2. Minor compaction by late sediments becoming harder with formation of flints. Some compaction occurs to give harder limestone.
3. Volcanic activity leads to melting and recrystallisation as marble.
Chalk (also known as whiting or chalk whiting) is usually fine textured, and varies in colour depending on the deposit. Limestone is highly compressed chalk and in it’s raw form is harder than chalk. Marble deposits are limestones changed by crystallisation under conditions of extreme heat and pressure. In some cases, this natural process yields pure marble of exceptional whiteness, such as the famous deposits at Carrara, Italy from where Imerys source material.
Quick View |
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|---|---|
| Mineralogy: Calcite (CaCO3) with some dolomite | |
| Particle Size: Rhombohedral, with typical aspect ratio of: | 3:1 |
| Typical MOH Hardness: | 3 |
| Specific Gravity: | 2.7 |
| Refractive Index: | 1.6 |
| Moisture: (max) | 0.2 |
| pH: | 9 |
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Featured Case Study
ImerSeal™ engineered for use in moisture curing sealant adhesive systems.
ImerSeal is specifically of interest where stability, product performance, whiteness and high thixotropy are required and also where moisture sensitivity of the system is a consideration... read more