Applications of calcium carbonate in industry

Calcium carbonate is an inorganic compound, commonly known as limestone, marble, etc. Main ingredient: Calcite, chemical formula is CaCO3, basically insoluble in water, soluble in hydrochloric acid. It is a common substance on the earth. It exists in aragonite, calcite, chalk, limestone, marble, travertine and other rocks. It is also the main component of animal bones or shells. Calcium carbonate is formed by the combination of calcium ions and carbonate ions, so it is both a calcium salt and a carbonate. Calcium carbonate is an important building material and has a wide range of industrial uses.

1. Plastic industry
Calcium carbonate can play a role as a skeleton in plastic products, which has a great effect on the dimensional stability of plastic products. It can also increase the hardness of the products and improve the surface gloss and surface smoothness of the products. As the whiteness of calcium carbonate is above 90%, it also replaces expensive white pigments.

2. Paint industry
The amount of calcium carbonate in the paint industry is also relatively large, such as the amount of more than 30% in thick paint.

3. Water-based paint industry
Calcium carbonate is more widely used in the water-based paint industry. It can make the paint have the characteristics of non-sedimentation, easy dispersion and good gloss. The amount of water-based paint is 20-60%.

4. Rubber industry
Calcium carbonate is one of the largest fillers used in the rubber industry. A large amount of calcium carbonate is filled in the rubber, which can increase the volume of its products and save expensive natural rubber, thereby greatly reducing the cost. Calcium carbonate is filled into rubber to obtain higher tensile strength, tear strength and abrasion resistance than pure rubber vulcanizates.

5. Calcium carbonate in adhesives and sealants
Calcium carbonate is widely used as a filler in adhesives and sealants. It has the advantages of narrow particle size distribution, large specific surface area, low oil and water absorption, etc. It can improve its rheological properties in PVC plastisols, enhance and reduce costs in silicone structural sealants, and can increase reinforcement and heat resistance in hot melt adhesives. Application in adhesives and sealants can significantly reduce costs and improve bonding performance.

6. Paper industry
The use of calcium carbonate in the paper industry can ensure the strength and whiteness of the paper, and the cost is low. It can make the paper have good brightness, solid structure, easy writing, uniform coating, low friction, easy to dehumidify and easy to dry.

7. Cable industry
It can play a certain role in insulation.

8. In chemical building materials
In recent years, a new type of composite material-calcium plastic material has appeared in the building material industry. This material has many excellent properties of wood, plastic and paper, and has heat resistance, chemical resistance, cold resistance, sound insulation, shock resistance, It is easy to process and can replace paper and wood in packaging, building materials, pipes, etc.

9. The application of calcium carbonate in medicine, food, feed, etc.

Calcium carbonate is one of the important components in the culture medium of the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to providing Ca element, it also buffers pH changes during stable fermentation and culture. Therefore, calcium carbonate becomes a buffer for microbial fermentation in the pharmaceutical industry. Among the reagents of medicines, calcium carbonate is generally used as a filler, while in anti-acid tablets, it has a certain medicinal effect. Calcium carbonate can be used as a food additive. It is advisable to add a small amount in food, usually not more than 2%, to ensure the intake of calcium necessary for the human body. Because under normal circumstances, the total amount of calcium in the human body is about 1200 grams, 99% of which are present in the bones and teeth, and 1% is an essential component in the human blood, therefore, calcium carbonate is also one of the various food additives.