Uses of Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a chemical substance, represented by the chemical formula CaCO₃. It is estimated that about 4 percent of the Earth's crust is made up of calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate cycle is composed of rocks, minerals, water, plants and animals. It is found naturally as minerals and rocks, some of which include calcite, limestone, chalk, marble and aragonite. Minerals and rocks impart calcium carbonate in natural water sources, resulting in hard water. In fact, calcium carbonate is the main cause of water hardness. It is also a major constituent compound of the shells and skeletons of animals.

Calcium carbonate is used in many aspects of life, either in naturally occurring state or pure form. Pure calcium carbonate is extracted from natural sources by means of various techniques like mining and quarrying. The constituting elements and chemical properties of calcium carbonate make it a favorable substance for use in therapeutic purposes and many other industries. Let's discuss in brief about the uses of calcium carbonate.

Uses of Calcium Carbonate

An important use of calcium carbonate is in the building industry. Due to its wide abundance and properties, it has been used as a building substance since ancient times. For example, the Egyptians used limestone for building their pyramids. Another notable monument made up of white marble is the Taj Mahal in India. Today, calcium carbonate is used in construction of buildings, roads and other engineering works.

Besides construction, calcium carbonate is also used in other industries like paint, plastic, rubber, ceramic, cement, glass, steel, oil refining, iron ore purification and biorock creation for mariculture of sea organisms. It is used as a blackboard chalk and as pH correcting compound in swimming pools. As per statistics, about 200 tonnes of chalk is used every year. Calcium carbonate is the most preferred mineral in the paper industry, used for filling and coating paper. It helps in production of the best quality printing papers.

Since calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth, calcium carbonate is used as dietary calcium supplement. Calcium carbonate supplement is effective to treat certain ailments related to calcium deficiency, for example, osteoporosis and acidity problems. Calcium supplements, made from calcium carbonate, are prescribed in various doses as per the requirement of the patients. Calcium carbonate is used in homeopathy, production of toothpaste and as a inert substance in tablets.

Calcium carbonate is a primary component of garden lime, also known as agricultural lime, which is used for neutralizing soil. Acidic soils can be treated with garden lime to enhance the soil quality. Garden lime when added in soil acts as a calcium source for plants as well as increases the pH and water retaining capacity of acidic soils. Calcium carbonate sources such as limestone and chalk, along with other chemical compounds are used in preparation of garden lime.

Calcium carbonate has various environmental applications. It is used in the treatment of drinking water, desulphurisation of flue gas and waste water treatments. Water bodies affected by acid rain can be neutralized by using calcium carbonate. However, care has to be taken as it can increase the concentration of aluminum ions.