How is Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Powder used in Rubber and Plastic?

September 30, 2022 posted by Shreekarni

Calcium Carbonate has many names like calcite, limestone, aragonite, chalk, lime, etc. It usually appears as a fine white chalky powder.

It is a chemical compound (CaCO3) commonly used as an additive in rubber, plastic, paper, and paint manufacturing industries.

Calcium carbonate is also used in many other industries. Before that, however, let’s look at where it can be found.

Sources of Calcium Carbonate

Calcium Carbonate is found worldwide and thus has many applications. Many natural and man-made structures are made of limestone.

It is a common chemical found in rocks as minerals like calcite and limestone. It is also the main component comprising eggshells, shellfish skeletons, and pearls.

As a dietary supplement, it can be found in oyster shells. Also, dark green vegetables like broccoli and kale contain a significant amount of calcium carbonate.

Use of Calcium Carbonate in Rubber

Calcium Carbonate has a long history of applications in the rubber industry. It is mainly used as a filler but has other uses as well.

Mixing large quantities of calcium carbonate with rubber can increase its volume. This reduces the use of expensive natural rubber and thus lowers the cost.

It improves the heat resistance, hardness, consistency, and size stability of the rubber. It also enhances tensile strength, tear resistance, and product performance.

Calcium carbonate is used in many rubber products such as tires, tapes, rubber hoses, oil seats, etc.

Use of Calcium Carbonate in Plastic

Calcium Carbonate is also used widely in plastic industries. It forms a skeleton kind of structure within the plastic products.

Using calcium carbonate in plastic can improve and enhance many factors like:

Size stability
Rigidity
Electrical performance
Heat resistance
Processing performance
Surface regularity
Flame retardant performance
Workability
Tensile strength

It also serves as a whitener instead of expensive white pigments. This is because of the inherent whiteness of calcium carbonate powder.

However, adding too much calcium carbonate can reduce product quality. The product quality is also affected by the quality of the calcium carbonate used.

Other Applications of Calcium Carbonate

Besides industrial uses, Calcium Carbonate powder is also used in many other fields of everyday life. Some examples are:

Building and Construction Material – Calcium Carbonate is used as an ingredient in cement and the making of mortar.
Paper and Coatings – Due to its whitening properties, calcium carbonate is widely used as a coating pigment. It is also used as a filler to make bright opaque paper.
Food Products – Calcium carbonate makes an effective dietary calcium supplement. It also finds its application in antacids, baking powder, dessert mixes, wine, etc.

The Gist of the Matter

To sum up, we can say that Calcium Carbonate powder is used in a wide variety of industries. It is also largely used in day-to-day life as a dietary supplement.

The addition of calcium carbonate in rubber and plastic products can largely improve product quality and performance.

Shree Karni Chemicals offers you the best quality Precipitated Calcium Carbonate powder for your products.