Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate (CAS 471-34-1), also known as E 170 and supplied under grades such as Aeromatt, is a mineral-based ingredient used in food, pharmaceutical, and industrial manufacturing.

Where is Calcium carbonate used?

• Plastics and rubber compounding: functional filler that reduces raw material costs
• In plastics, it provides mechanical strength.
• In cable, it provides HFFR halogen-free compound.
• Paper: coating pigment and filler improving brightness, opacity, and printability in fine paper grades
• Construction: core raw material in cement and lime mortars
• Food and pharmaceuticals: calcium fortification agent, acidity regulator, and tablet excipient in solid dosage forms
• Added to food products to remove acidity from wines, foods and commercial preparations.
• Used in fortified foods such as plant-based milk alternatives, breakfast cereals, meal replacements, and infant formula.
• It functions as a filler, pH buffer, coating agent, and calcium source depending on the sector.

Good to know: Ground (GCC) and precipitated (PCC) grades offer distinct particle size distributions suited to different processing requirements.

Formulation notes

• Natural calcite has an untreated surface, while coated calcite is coated with stearic acid to become hydrophobic, allowing better dispersion in polymers and higher filling.
• Pure calcium carbonate is used only in applications where the presence of impurities such as crystalline silica prevents the use of limestone.

Typical specification

• Precipitated calcium carbonate is commercially available in different particle sizes, ranging from about 0.03 µm to a few µm depending on the application.
• Micronized calcium carbonate is produced in particle sizes from 1 to 100 microns.
• Purity of 98% or more.

Regulatory status

• Certified as a raw material for animal feed under the GMP+ standard.
• Certified as a suitable input for organic agriculture.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Store separately from acids, aluminium, ammonium salts, fluorine and magnesium.

Frequently asked questions about Calcium carbonate

In which dough applications is calcium carbonate used?

It is used as a leavening agent in dough products such as flour and bread.

How does calcium carbonate affect polymer performance?

It increases the heat resistance of polymers and extends their service life.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.