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Understanding How Calcium Carbonate is Used in Water Purification
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is literally the backbone of so many living things on our planet since it is a main component of skeletal tissue, as well as the outer coverings of shellfish, pearls, eggshells and corals. How can this compound be used to purify water? Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem is here to answer that question for you.
Defining calcium carbonate
Working under the pseudonyms calcite, chalk, dolomite, lime, ground limestone, or whiting, calcium carbonate is a component of all these minerals. It appears as a white solid, but can be ground to a powder or crystalline texture. It easily pulls water from the surrounding environment, which leaves this compound damp to the touch.
Calcium carbonate forms naturally and is often found in limestone aquifers and in desert climates. Calcium carbonate is generally considered water soluble.
Water treatment uses
In water treatment facilities, calcium carbonate is naturally basic and increases the alkalinity of water. Acidic waters, which are on the increase due to acid rain, are neutralized with the addition of calcium carbonate.
When combined with other chemicals to form calcium polysulphide or calcium hydroxide, these chemicals act as flocculants to adhere waste materials, creating a much heavier material that drifts to the bottom of tanks to be more easily removed.
If these compounds are considered toxic, calcium carbonate partially negates their toxicity. For instance, soft water more naturally contains more toxic levels of copper, lead, and zinc since soft water increases these metals’ solubility. The addition of calcium carbonate is renowned for its negative effects on these metals’ water corrosivity.
Any detergents or cleansing agents present in drinking water are cleansed with the addition of calcium carbonate, which stifles their efficiency.
Taste matters
Calcium carbonate predicts a water’s “softness” or “hardness,” and the addition of calcium carbonate gives water a more appealing flavor since people tend to prefer harder water.
Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including calcium carbonate. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Differences Between Types of Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate has long been associated with calming upset stomachs, but it also acts favorably on other body systems, such as the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem proudly inventories HuberCal® products, such as HuberCal® CCG 40XX FG and HuberCal® 250 USP for our customers. HuberCal products are renowned for their industry-leading purity; their products contain lower levels of arsenic, mercury, and lead than any other manufacturer.
Types of Calcium Carbonate
HuberCal® 250 USP is an off-white to white powder of low-moisture, high purity 12-micron calcium carbonate, mined from beds of ancient oyster shells or limestone. The “USP” specifies this product meets or exceeds US Pharmacopeia requirements.
HuberCal® CCG 44XX FG is a granulated form of 95% calcium carbonate FCC (functionalized calcium carbonate) mined from natural limestone, then compounded with a 5% binder. For CCG 44XX FG, the binder is maltodextrin IP (identity preserved) and acacia gum. The “FG” ending denotes “food grade,” an indication that this form of calcium carbonate may be used in the food and beverage industry. FCC denotes high purity, recrystallized calcium carbonate that creates a structured mineral giving this form of calcium carbonate several unique aspects:
60% or greater porosity
Median particle size distribution of 2–30µm
Surface areas of 30-180 m2/g
Greater number of contact points along its mineral-like surface
Greater tensile strength/compressibility
High biocompatibility
Calcium Carbonate as a Supplement
Calcium carbonate is a nutritional ingredient often prescribed for patients with low blood calcium levels, such as those with osteoporosis, osteomalacia, hypoparathyroidism, or latent tetany. Changes in hormone levels can cause low calcium blood levels, which is why pregnant and postmenopausal women are often prescribed calcium supplements. When blood calcium levels are significantly low, the body removes calcium from its stores in the bones throughout the body, leaving the skeletal structure depleted and significantly weakened.
Food Grade Uses for Calcium Carbonate
Although calcium carbonate given in tablet form generally requires vitamin D for its uptake, the addition of calcium carbonate FCC as an ingredient during food manufacture is readily ingested and utilized properly within the body. Many packaged foods, including cereal, nutritional and cereal bars, baked foods and cookies, and soups regularly add beneficial calcium carbonate as an ingredient.
Bell Chem is a USP ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including HuberCal® products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
How to Use Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is one of those ubiquitous chemicals we take for granted. Nearly 4% of the Earth’s crust is composed of calcium carbonate, and the majority of that is derived from the breakdown of prehistoric animals. Find out how Tampa food ingredient supplier Bell Chem’s pure calcium carbonate can enhance your enterprise.
With time and pressure, calcium carbonate transforms into limestone, chalk, and dolomite, although dolomite contains magnesium carbonates as well as calcium carbonate. Each of these types of calcium carbonate has different functions.
As a filler: Calcium carbonate bulks up costlier products, making them less expensive without impeding the integrity of the product. Approximately 30% of the weight of many paints is calcium carbonate. Used as an ingredient in adhesives, coatings, paints, paper, plastic, and sealants, it also brightens these products as it acts as a coating pigment.
As a brightener: The paper industry relies on calcium carbonate for bright white opaque paper because of its light scattering capabilities.
As a dietary supplement: The strong hydrochloric acid in the human stomach is neutralized with a calcium carbonate supplement in the form of an antacid. Calcium carbonate also bonds with phosphate or another base component to create supplements or medicine in tablet form. Animal feeds, such as chicken crumble, also contain calcium carbonate; in this case it aids in the production of strong shells. For other animals, it maintains pH levels and supplements the dietary needs of animals.
As a pH balancer: Many products, such as baking powder or toothpaste, find calcium carbonate a reliable remedy for escalating acidity. Even foods and beverages, such as dessert mixes, dough products, and wine, contain calcium carbonate for this reason. In man made water systems and wastewater plants, calcium carbonate also maintains a proper pH balance.
As a water treatment: As the Earth becomes more polluted with acid rain, many lakes and ponds are no longer able to properly support life. Scientists have found that infusing these waters with powdered calcium carbonate prevents these ecosystems from dying.
As a building material: Calcium carbonate is a beautiful mineral used for building and facades in the form of marble. It is also added to cement and mortar as foundations and bonders. As it decomposes, it releases lime, which is used in the manufacture of glass, paper, and steel.
Bell Chem is your Tampa food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including calcium carbonate. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.