Soran University

Faculty of Engineering

Calcium carbonate

Prepared by : supervisor :
Ismail idris mr.Ali hosin

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Introduction:

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a

common substance found in rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite (most
notably as limestone, which is a type of sedimentary rock consisting mainly of
calcite) and is the main component of pearls and the shells of marine organisms,
snails, and eggs. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime and
is created when calcium ions in hard water react with carbonate ions to create
limescale. It is medicinally used as a calcium supplement or as an antacid, but
excessive consumption can be hazardous and cause poor digestion.

Uk calcium carbonates are a nationally significant source of raw materials.

Commercial calcium carbonate grades, in the form of powders, granules and
slurries, are produced in 2 ways: through the extraction and processing of natural
ores or synthetically through chemical precipitation.

Ground calcium carbonate, commonly referred to as GCC, is primarily based on

limestone and chalk in the UK, though marble stone is imported and processed at a
few locations.
Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is produced through a decarbonizations
process or as a by-product of some bulk chemical processes.
Dolomite fillers are also produced from indigenous stone, similar to GCC, but as
the UK has no viable source of high whiteness dolomite rock, again this material is
also imported but processed locally by a few BCCF member companies.

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GCC Production
Though there are extensive reserves of chalk, limestone and dolomite in the UK, in
reality only a few deposits are of sufficiently high quality to be able to provide raw
materials for industrial and agricultural uses. Only if the purity, colour, thickness
and homogeneity are acceptable is commercial extraction worthwhile.

Figure 1 SEM of ground calcium carbonate (GCC)

After quarrying, further treatment is required to process natural calcium carbonates

(and dolomite, which is very similar) of the highest quality, known generically as
Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC).
The production process maintains the carbonate very close to its original state,
ending up in a finely ground product delivered either in dry or slurry form (water
based suspension).

Figure 2 Bulk tanker delivery of fine limestone powder

Generally, the processing includes washing, sorting of undesirable contaminants,

grinding, size classification of particles and possibly drying. Depending on the
circumstances and intended uses, the order and necessity of those different steps
vary. At the outlet of the process, the material is delivered in bags or in bulk when
dry, or as bulk tankers for slurries by road or rail.

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Figure 3 manfacture of GCC

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PCC Production

Most commercial producers use the recarbonisation method of PCC production where limestone is
converted into calcium oxide (lime) and carbon dioxide by calcination at high temperatures. After
calcination the lime is slaked with water and the resulting milk of lime is purified and re-carbonised with
the carbon dioxide obtained directly from the calcination process.

Figure 4 Silos used for storing calcium carbonate prior to delivery by bulk tanker to the customer

This produces a water-based suspension of CaCO3. A cake comprising upto 60% solid matter (depending
on particle diameter) is then obtained by filtration. This filter cake is then dried and subsequently
disagglomerated in grinders.

Depending on the chemical composition of the milk of lime used and on the purifying stages during
production, food and pharmaceutical grades as well as technical grades can be produced.

Coated grades of PCC are also produced by introducing fatty acids or other additives at the suspension
stage prior to filtration.

Figure 5 SEM of scalenohedral precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC)

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Figure 6 Manufacturer of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate