EFFECT OF DISACCHARIDE SOLUTION ON PRODUCTION OF PRECIPITATED CALCIUM CARBONATE

Abstract

The current global demand for industrial paint, paper, polymer and adhesive materials witnesses an ascending growth. This market demand cannot be commercially fulfilled without unique and high-quality precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). Over the years, PCC plays a role as a key component of the modern paper and plastic industry. Interestingly, owing to its wide-range adaptable characteristics, PCC has also exhibited high potential to be applied in modern pharmaceutical and biomedical application. Therefore, various techniques have been developed in producing the profitably versatile PCC. In attaining required properties, particle size and morphology, processing parameters should be prudently controlled and optimized. PCC can be optimally synthesized using solid–liquid method or the gas–solid–liquid carbonation reaction via CO2 gas bubbling through a concentrated calcium based slurry i.e. calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and/or calcium magnesium hydroxide (Ca·Mg(OH)2) slurry with suitable organic additives. In this present work, PCC was produced by continuously introducing CO2 gas into a clear calcium ion (Ca2+)- rich solution. Prior to the carbonation reaction, natural disaccharide solution was used to efficiently promote an extraction of Ca2+ ions from calcium-based mineral, thus producing Ca-rich ionic solution as a main precursor. This current finding showed the concentration of disaccharide solution significantly affected the PCC yield as 48.28 g of PCC was attained by utilizing 20 °B x as compared to only 8.23 g of PCC produced using 5 °Bx of disaccharide solution. There was no significant change on the phase formation and morphology of the produced PCC with a dominant calcite phase and rhombohedral structure, respectively. Increasing the concentration of disaccharide solution resulted in a slight change on the particle size distribution and kinetic stability of the PCC. This current finding signified the use of disaccharide solution in promoting Ca2+ ions extraction offered a significant increase in a production yield of the PCC which might be profitably applied by the industrial manufacturer.